When Christ left his apostles after spending time with them after his resurrection and right before his ascension into heaven…

He said to them,
“Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.
-Mark 16:15 New Revised Standard Version

This is because Christ wanted to walk the earth through his mystical body.
He started out on his journey around 2000 years ago and wants to continue walking
through you and me because…

Christ has no body but yours,

No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which He looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

— St. Teresa of Ávila (attributed)

I have tried to write a brief outlook of every moment in recorded history.

Catholic Bard’s Guide To History Timeline Of Articles |
A Link List To The Catholic Bard’s History Articles. (patheos.com)

In looking at the events and people of times past I have not always focused on every person in every place.

Here is then, a brief look at every place Christ has walked around the world on planet earth through his vicar, Our Lady, a few saints and the many disciples who belong to Christ’s mystical body through faith and baptism and who worship in some of the churches including 23 different rites in communion with Rome set up in the various countries around the globe. This long brief look will not be detailed but when time allows I will take more space to talk about the specific places mentioned here and include more trivia, more saints, history and other interesting things about those lands.

Some of the content I present is quoted directly from Professor Wikipedia.
There are possible mistakes or omissions that will be fixed if anyone reading this points them out.

The Missions

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was also national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from 1950 to 1966. In February 1951, he inaugurated a World Mission Rosary during his radio address, The Catholic Hour. “We must pray, and not for ourselves, but for the world,” he exhorted. “To this end, I have designed the World Mission Rosary.” Praying this Rosary, Archbishop Sheen said, would “aid the Holy Father and his Society for the Propagation of the Faith by supplying him with practical support, as well as prayers, for the poor mission territories of the world.”

Each decade of that World Mission Rosary calls to mind an area where the Church continues her evangelizing mission:
green for the forests and grasslands of Africa;
blue for the ocean surrounding the islands of the Pacific;
white symbolizing Europe, the seat of the Holy Father, shepherd of the world;
red calling to mind the fire of faith that brought missionaries to the Americas,
and yellow, the morning light of the east, for Asia. Archbishop Sheen said, “Peace will come only when the hearts of the world have changed. When the World Mission Rosary is completed, one has embraced all continents, all people in prayer.”
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen & the World Mission Rosary – Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg (hbgdiocese.org)

St. Dr. Thérèse of Lisieux is patron of the missions.

Papal travel outside Rome has been historically rare, and voluntary travel of the pope was non-existent for the first 500 years. Pope Paul VI (1963–1978) became the first pope to leave Europe; no pope ever left Europe before the Second Vatican Council. He was the first to travel by airplane as pope, the first to leave Italy since 1809, and the first to visit North America, South America, Africa, Oceania, and Asia as pope.

Pope John Paul II (1978–2005) travelled more miles as pope than all his predecessors combined, and as a result he was seen—in person—by more people than anyone else in history.He travelled approximately 721,052 miles, the equivalent of nearly 31 trips around the circumference of the Earth.

Pope Francis (2013–present), and Pope Benedict XVI (2005–2013) also travelled globally, the latter to a lesser extent due to his advanced age.

Africa

Our Lady of Africa is patron off Africa.

Vintage holy card of Notre Dame d’Afrique, based on the statue in the basilica of the same name in Algiers, Algeria.

Northern Africa

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3 popes have been from Africa Proconsularis including Pope Victor I, Pope Miltiades, Pope Gelasius I.

Egypt (Also Transcontinental): Papal Visit – John Paul II 2000 • Francis 2017
You can visit the Cathedral of Our Lady, which is a Coptic Catholic Church when you visit Cairo, Egypt.

Our Lady of Zeitoun was a mass Marian apparition that was reported to have occurred in the Zeitoun district of Cairo, Egypt, during a period of about 3 years beginning on April 2, 1968.

Algeria
You can visit Notre-Dame d’Afrique in Algiers, Algeria which is the origin of the modern Catholic devotion to Our Lady of Africa when you visit Algeria.

Libya
There are two Catholic churches in Libya, the Church of San Francesco in Tripoli (led until 2017 by Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli) and the Maria Immacolata Parish Church in Benghazi, both of which are led by Franciscan priests from the Province of St. Paul the Apostle (Malta). Each church is made up of “personal parishes” based on language, with each personal parish assigned its own priest. Catholic Church in Libya

On February 12, 2015, the Islamic State (IS) released a report in their online magazine Dabiq showing photos of 21 Egyptian Christian construction workers that they had kidnapped in the city of Sirte, Libya, and whom they reported had been killed.^[1] The men, who came from different villages in Egypt, 13 of them from Al-Our, Minya Governorate, were kidnapped in Sirte in two separate attacks on 27 December 2014, and in January 2015. On February 15, a video was subsequently released showing their murder. In 2023, Pope Francis announced that the 21 Coptic men murdered by IS would also be commemorated by the Catholic Church and listed within the Roman Martyrology in what was described as a major ecumenical decision.

Morocco: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985 • Francis 2019

Sudan: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1993

Saint Josephine Bakhita FDCC (ca. 1869 – February 8, 1947) was a Canossian religious sister who lived in Italy for 45 years, after having been a slave in Sudan. In 2000, she was declared a saint, the first black woman to receive the honor in the modern era.

Tunisia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1996

Central Africa

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Angola: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1992 • Benedict XVI 2009
You can attend the Catholic University of Angola for higher Catholic education.

Cameroon: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985, 1995 • Benedict XVI 2009

Central African Republic: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985 • Francis 2015

Chad: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990

Congo/ Republic of the Congo: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1980

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Papal Visit –John Paul II 1980, 1985 • Francis 2023

Blessed Isidore Bakanja (c. 1887 – 15 August 1909). He was a devout Catholic convert and catechist who converted at 18. He was killed by his His Belgian colonist employers for refusing to not share his faith and not take off his brown scapular which he wore.

Blessed Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta (December 29, 1939 – December 1, 1964), is the first Bantu Catholic blessed, was killed during the nation’s civil war during the Simba revolt in 1964 when Colonel Pierre Olombe killed her after she warded off his rape attempts.

Gabon: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1982

São Tomé and Príncipe: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1992
You can visit Our Lady of Grace Cathedral, São Tomé when you visit São Tomé and Príncipe.

Africa Eastern Africa

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Wakanda: Papal Visit – None that we can confirm.

Burundi: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990

Comoros:
You can visit St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, Moroni when you visit Comoros.

Djibouti
Caritas Djibouti was founded by Msgr Bernardin Hoffman, Bishop of Djibouti, on 1 January 1978. For more than three decades it has been helping the country’s inhabitants, of whom half live in the capital and have to face up to the problems of an extremely poor African country.

Eritrea
You can visit Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara when you visit Eritrea.
You can also visit the Kidane Mehret Cathedral, which is part of the Eritrean Catholic Church also in Asmara, Eritrea.

Ethiopia
You can visit the Cathedral of the Holy Saviour, Adigrat when you visit Ethiopia. It is the main place of worship of the Ethiopian Catholic Church which is in full communion with the Holy See. In its liturgical services, it uses the Alexandrian Rite in the Ge’ez language (a local liturgical language).

Kenya: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1980, 1985, 1995 • Francis 2015

Madagascar: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989 • Francis 2019

Malawi: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989

Mauritius: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989 • Francis 2019

Mozambique: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1988 • Francis 2019

Rwanda: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990

On November 28, 1981, in the African college of Kibeho, Rwanda, Our Lady of Kibeho reportedly appeared to three teenage students, Alphonsine Mumureke, Nathalie Mukamazimpaka, and Marie Claire Mukangango. The apparition identified herself in the native Rwandan dialect as “Nyina wa Jambo” (“Mother of the Word”) and warned of the coming 1994 Rwandan Genocide (in which Mukangango was killed).

Our Lady of Kibeho and the Rwandan Genocide – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World (youtube.com)

Servants of God Cyprien (ca. 1935–1994) and Daphrose Rugamba (ca. 1944–1994) were a married couple from Rwanda, who introduced the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and the Emmanuel Community to their country in 1990. Rugamba was a member of the Hutu ethnic group but was considered by many to be a Rwandan who created art for all people due to the general impression that his works, which included actors from all ethnic groups, embodied a concentrated focus on writing about Rwandan history and culture, regardless of ethnicity. His wife was an ethnic Tutsi and were both assassinated in the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

Seychelles: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1986

Somalia
There is only a single church in Somalia: St. Anthony of Padua in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, a semi-autonomous region. Saying Mass has been and continues to be “very dangerous,” the bishop told international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need. Catholic News Agency (Oct 24, 2016).

In 2023, the country was scored zero out of 4 for religious freedom. In the same year, the country was ranked as the second worst place in the world to be a Christian, just behind North Korea.

Blessed Leonella Sgorbati (December 9, 1940 – 17 September17, 2006) was an Italian religious sister of the Consolata Missionaries who served in the missions in both Kenya and in Somalia.She was murdered in Somalia not long after the Regensburg lecture of Pope Benedict XVI and after having worked on the continent for over three decades.Her main attention was on nursing and educating prospective nurses while she also tended to the needs of children in a children’s hospital that she frequented. In 2008 her cross was deposited in the San Bartolomeo all’Isola church.

South Sudan: Papal Visit – Francis 2023

Tanzania: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990

Uganda: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1969 • John Paul II 1993 • Francis 2015

The Martyrs of Uganda are a group of 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican converts to Christianity in the historical kingdom of Buganda, now part of Uganda, who were executed between January 31, 1885 and January 27,1887) including Saint Charles Lwaanga.

Zambia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989

Zimbabwe: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1988

Western Africa

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Benin: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1982, 1993 • Benedict XVI 2011

Burkina Faso: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1980, 1990

Cabo Verde/Cape Verde: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990

Gambia, The: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1992

Ghana: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1980

Guinea: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1992

Guinea-Bissau: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990

Ivory Coast/Republic of Côte d’Ivoire: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1980, 1985, 1990

Liberia
You can visit Holy Spirit Cathedral, Gbarnga when you visit Liberia.

Mali: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990

Mauritania
You can visit The Cathedral of St. Joseph in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nouakchott – when you visit Mauretania.

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
It is a partially recognized state, recognized by 46 UN member states and South Ossetia, located in the western Maghreb, which claims the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, but controls only the easternmost one-fifth of that territory. The other part is administered by neighboring Morocco

Western Sahara
You can visit St. Francis of Assisi Cathedral, Laayoune when you visit Western Sahara. Or you could visit Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Dakhla.

Niger
You can visit Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral, Niamey when you visit Niger.

Nigeria: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1982, 1998

Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi September 1903 – January 20, 1964) was an Igbo Nigerian priest of the Catholic Church who worked in the Archdiocese of Onitsha and later became a Trappist monk at Mount Saint Bernard Monastery in England.

Senegal: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1992

Sierra Leone
You can visit the Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral, Bo when you visit Sierra Leone.

Venerable Melchior-Marie-Joseph de Marion-Brésillac, S.M.A. (December 2, 1813 – June 25, 1859) was a French Catholic prelate and the founder of the Society of African Missions. The SMA Fathers, serve the people of Africa and those of African descent.

Togo: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985

Southern Africa

Botswana: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1988

Eswatini (formerly Swaziland): Papal Visit – John Paul II 1988

Lesotho: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1988

Namibia
You can attend the St. Charles Seminary if you have a vocation to the priesthood.

South Africa: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1988, 1995
South Africa has a Right To Claim Territory but doesn’t have any in Antarctica.

Blessed Benedict Daswa (June 16, 1946 – February 2,1990), was a South African school teacher and principal. He was given the name of “Samuel” by his parents when he started to attend school and assumed the name “Benedict” upon his conversion to Catholicism. A local mob murdered him after he refused to pay support for anti–Christian superstition.

ASIA

St. Francis Xavier is patron of Asia.

The Church in Asia sings the praises of the “God of salvation” (Ps 68:20) for choosing to initiate his saving plan on Asian soil, through men and women of that continent. It was in fact in Asia that God revealed and fulfilled his saving purpose from the beginning. Pope John Paul II – Ecclesia in Asia – The Church in Asia

Eastern Asia

Macau (China – Special Administrative Region)
You can visit St. Lawrence’s Church when you visit Macau.

Hong Kong: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1970

North Korea Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
You can visit Changchung Cathedral when you visit North Korea.

Taiwan (limited recognition – claimed by China)
You can attend the Fu Jen Catholic University for higher Catholic education.

South Korea: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1984, 1989 • Francis 2014

World Youth Day: Seoul, South Korea – 1927

China
You can visit St. Joseph’s Church, Beijing when you visit China.

St. John Gabriel Perboyre CM ( 1802–1840) was a French priest of the Congregation of the Mission, who served as a missionary in China, where he suffered martyrdom. He is China’s first canonized saint.

Tibet
You can visit Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Yerkalo if you visit Tibet.

Blessed Maurice Tornay (August 31, 1910 – August 11, 1949) was a Swiss Roman Catholic priest of the Canons Regular of Saint Augustine – of the Hospitallers of Saint Nicholas and Grand-St-Bernard of Mont Joux branch – who served as part of the missions in China and Tibet. He fought against anti-Catholic religious persecution in independent Tibet and was ambushed and murdered by Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Karma Gon Monastery while he travelled to Lhasa disguised as a pilgrim to appeal directly to the Dalai Lama for religious toleration to be granted to the Catholic Church in Tibet.

Japan: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1981 • Francis 2019

Our Lady of Akita is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the Marian apparitions reported in 1973 by Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in the remote area of Yuzawadai, an outskirt of Akita, Japan.

Mongolia: Papal Visit – Francis 2023

South-Eastern Asia

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Myanmar (formerly Burma) You can visit
St. Joseph’s Church when you visit Myanmar

Philippines: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1970 • John Paul II 1981, 1995 • Francis 2015

Pope Francis visits a Typhoon Haiyan victim in Palo, Leyte.

World Youth Day: Manila, Philippines – January 10 – 15, 1995. As the Father has sent me, so am I sending you (Jn 20:21)

Brunei
You can visit Pro-Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption when you visit Brunei.

Cambodia
You can visit the Catholic Church in Siem Reap and Satellite Communities when you visit Cambodia.

Indonesia: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1970 • John Paul II 1989

Western New Guinea is owned by Indonesia and is located in Oceania.
Saint Joseph Catholic Church which is located in the village of Ayawasi in West Papua is a church you can visit if you visit Western New Guinea. “ This church resembles a magnificent basilica in the interior of southwest Papua, “. – Archbishop Pietro Pioppo (1960 – Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia since 2017) RVA (rvasia.org)

Laos
You can visit Sacred Heart Cathedral, Vientiane when you visit Laos.

The Martyrs of Laos are seventeen Catholic priests and professed religious as well as one lay young man venerated as martyrs killed in Laos between 1954 and 1970 of the First and Second Indochina Wars during a period of anti-religious sentiment under the Pathet Lao Theravada Buddhist–communist political movement.

Malaysia
You can visit St. John’s Cathedral (Kuala Lumpur) when you visit Malaysia.

Singapore: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1986

Thailand: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1984 • Francis 2019

Timor-Leste/East Timor: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989

Vietnam
You can visit Phát Diệm Cathedral when you visit Vietnam.

Southern Asia

Afghanistan
In 2004, the Missionaries of Charity arrived in Kabul to carry out humanitarian work. Following the 2021 Taliban offensive, the Catholic Church ceased to have a functioning presence in Afghanistan.

Bangladesh: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1970 • John Paul II 1986 • Francis 2017

Bhutan
The first Bhutanese-born Catholic priest, Rev Kinley Tshering, SJ, was ordained in 1986. He was initially dissuaded by missionaries but after a meeting with Mother Teresa he decided to become a Catholic priest. As a citizen of the country, he travels freely in Bhutan, and celebrates the Christmas Mass under the pretext of his birthday on December 24.^[13] He is also thought to be the first convert from Buddhism to the Christian faith in Bhutan.

India: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1964 • John Paul II 1986, 1999

You can visit the Cathedral of Our Lady, which is part of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church when you visit Ernakulam, Kerala, India
You can also visit the Cathedral of Saint Mary, which is part of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church when you visit Pattom, Kerala, India

Our Lady of Good Health also known as Our Lady of Vailankanni, is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by devotees. She is said to have appeared twice in the town of Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, India, in the 16th to 17th centuries.

St. Mother Teresa (August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997)was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity.

St. Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception (August 19, 1910 – July 28, 1946) the first saint of the Syro-Malabar Church, an Eastern Catholic community of Eastern Christianity he first woman keralite to appear in the Indian Stamp.

Kashmir
This country is administered by three countries: China, India, and Pakistan.
The majority of the population in the Kashmir Valley adheres to Islam.

Iran: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1970

Maldives
The Maldives, a chain of island atolls in the Indian Ocean south of India, is one of the very few places in the world with no institutional Catholic presence. Islam is defined in the constitution as the state religion. It prohibits any law deemed contrary to Sunni interpretation of Islam. Public conversion to other faiths is culturally impossible. Some Catholics from abroad work in embassies and other settings, and come there as tourists for the islands’ celebrated beaches, but there is no public Catholic practice there. Even foreigners who visit and work there have no organized venues for religious practice, outside of embassy compounds. Maldives | Catholics & Cultures (catholicsandcultures.org)

Nepal
You can visit Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral, Kathmandu when you visit Nepal.

Pakistan: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1981

Sri Lanka: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1970 • John Paul II 1995 • Francis 2015

Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan
Bishop Nikolaus Messmer, S.J. ( December 19, 1954 − July 18, 2016) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as the titular bishop of Carmeiano and the first Apostolic Administrator of the Apostolic Administration of Kyrgyzstan from 2006 until his death in 2016.

In fact, we serve throughout the entire country of Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan is a truly beautiful country, much of which is mountainous. It has been called “the Switzerland of Central Asia”—although, in all truth, it seems to many to be more rugged and more spectacular. I usually spend about a third to half of my time in the capital city of Bishkek (where our little cathedral parish and my office is located) and the rest of the time traveling, largely throughout the country to visit the little Catholic communities. Some of these are in towns. Other Catholics live in villages. Fr. Anthony Corcoran, Apostolic Administrator of the Church in Kyrgyzstan Q&A USCCB

Tajikistan
You can visit St Joseph Church, Dushanbe located near Dushanbe International Airport when you visit Tajikistan.

Turkmenistan
You can visit Chapel of the Transfiguration, Ashgabat when you visit Turkmenistan.

Uzbekistan
You can visit The Sacred Heart Cathedral of Jesus in Tashkent when you visit Uzbekistan.

Western Asia

Israel: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1964 • John Paul II 2000 • Benedict XVI 2009 • Francis 2014

3 popes have been from the Holy Land in modern-day Israel including Pope Peter, Pope Evaristus, and Pope Theodore I.

Palestine: Papal Visit – John Paul II 2000 • Benedict XVI 2009 • Francis 2014

Bahrain: Papal Visit – Francis 2022

Iraq: Papal Visit – Francis 2021
You can visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is part of the Chaldean Catholic Church when you visit Baghdad, Iraq.

Jordan: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1964 • John Paul II 2000 • Benedict XVI 2009 • Francis 2014

Kuwait
You can visit Holy Family Co-Cathedral, Kuwait when you visit Kuwait.

Lebanon: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1964 • John Paul II 1997 • Benedict XVI 2012
You can visit the Cathedral of Saint Elias and Saint Gregory, which is part of the Armenian Catholic Church when you visit Beirut, Lebanon.
You can also visit the Church of Bkerke, which is part of the Maronite Church when you visit Bkerke, Lebanon.

Saint Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayès (June 29, 1832 – March 23, 1914), also known Saint Rebecca, was a Lebanese Maronite nun and is a patron of lost parents and the sick.

Oman
You can visit Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Muscat when you visit Oman.

Qatar
You can visit Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (Doha) when you visit Qatar.

Saudi Arabia
Catholicism in Saudi Arabia is officially barred from being practised, though Catholics are allowed into the country for temporary work.

A historical moment occurred on November 6, 2007, when Pope Benedict XVI received King Abdullah in audience at the Vatican.

Syria: Papal Visit – John Paul II 2001

5 popes have been from the Byzantine Empire in modern-day Syria including Pope Anicetus, Pope John V, Pope Sisinnius, Pope Constantine, and Pope Gregory III.

You can visit the Cathedral of the Dormition, which is part of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church when you visit Damascus, Syria.
You can also visit the Syriac Catholic Cathedral of Saint Paul, which is part of the Syriac Catholic Church which is also in Damascus, Syria.

United Arab Emirates: Papal Visit – Francis 2019

Yemen
You Can Visit St. Francis of Assisi Church in the city of Aden if you visit the Asian country of Yemen.

Socotra Archipelago is owned by Yemen located in the Indian Ocean in the African region of the world. Christianity went into decline when the Mahra sultanate took power in the 16th century, and the populace had become mostly Muslim by the time the Portuguese arrived later that century. An 1884 edition of Nature writes that the disappearance of Christian churches and monuments can be accounted for by a Wahhabi excursion to the island in 1800. Today the only remnants of Christianity are some cross engravings from the first century CE, a few Christian tombs, and some church ruins.

Transcontinental Euro/Asia

Armenia Euro Asia Transcontinental (transcontinental – generally considered Asian)
Papal Visit – John Paul II 2001 • Francis 2016

Azerbaijan (transcontinental – generally considered Asian)
Papal Visit – John Paul II 2002 • Francis 2016

Cyprus (generally considered European)
Papal Visit – Benedict XVI 2010 • Francis 2021

Northern Cyprus is officially named the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It is recognised only by Turkey, and its territory is considered by all other states to be part of the Republic of Cyprus.

You can visit the Church of the Holy Cross, Nicosia if you visit North Cyprus.

Georgia (transcontinental – generally considered Asian)
Papal Visit – John Paul II 1999 • Francis 2016

Abkhazia
The political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Abkhaz–Georgian conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia has been recognised as an independent state by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria; however, the Georgian government and nearly all United Nations member states consider Abkhazia a sovereign territory of Georgia. Lacking effective control over the Abkhazian territory, Georgia maintains an Abkhaz government-in-exile.

In the second half of the 19th century, after the uprisings in Poland, Polish exiles immigrated and founded numerous Catholic communities in Abkhazia. In 1908, they built a small Catholic church in honor of St. Simon the Canaanite in Sukhumi, which survives to this day.

South Ossetia
As of 2024, only five members of the United Nations (UN) recognise South Ossetia as a sovereign state – Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria.[10] The Georgian government and all other UN member states regard South Ossetia as sovereign territory of Georgia occupied by Russia.

South Ossetia is primarily Eastern Orthodox Christian.

Kazakhstan (transcontinental – generally considered Asian)
Papal Visit – John Paul II 2001 • Francis 2022

St. Władysław Bukowiński (December 22, 1904 – December 3, 1974), was a Polish Roman Catholic priest who served in the diocese of Karaganda in Kazakhstan. He served in Poland during World War II and became renowned among his parishioners for his calmness and his intelligence. He made an effort to meet the conflict with the love of Jesus Christ and the message of the Gospel. He was arrested on several occasions and was a prisoner for a time in a Soviet gulag. After he was released, he served a long-term mission in Kazakhstan.

Russia (transcontinental – generally considered European)
Russia has a Right To Claim Territory but doesn’t have any in Antarctica.

Pope Francis has expressed his hope that the entire Catholic community of the Russian Federation may become “an evangelical seed that, with joy and humility, offers a limpid transparency of the Kingdom of God.” Pope encourages Russian Catholics to pursue unity – Vatican News

The consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by a reigning pope was requested during a Marian apparition by Our Lady of Fátima on 13 July 1917, according to Lúcia dos Santos (Sister Lúcia), one of the three visionaries who claimed to have seen the apparition. Sister Lucia said that at different times the Blessed Virgin Mary had given her a message of promise that the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary would usher in a period of world peace.

Popes Pius XII, Paul VI and John Paul II all consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, although without specifically referencing Russia or the USSR. On March 25, 2022, Pope Francis consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, alongside Ukraine, with both countries mentioned for the first time. This occurred during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

1794 – A Wizard Clip Servant of God Russian aristocrat Prince Fr. Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin (December 22, 1770 – May 6, 1840) known as “The Apostle of the Alleghenies” traveled to Middleway, West Virginia, near Martinsburg to accompany Father Dennis Cahill in the investigation of a haunted house known locally as the Wizard Clip.

Servant of God Walter Ciszek (November 4, 1904 – December 8, 1984) was a Polish-American, Jesuit priest of the Russian Greek Catholic Church who clandestinely conducted missionary work in the Soviet Union between 1939 and 1963.

Fifteen of these years were spent in confinement and hard labor in the Gulag, plus five preceding them^[1] in Moscow‘s infamous Lubyanka prison. He was released and returned to the United States in 1963, after which he wrote two books, He Leadeth Me and the memoir With God in Russia, and served as a spiritual director.

You can visit Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Moscow) when you visit Russia.

Turkey (transcontinental – generally considered European)
Papal Visit – Paul VI 1967 • John Paul II 1979 • Benedict XVI 2006 • Francis 2014

2 popes have been from Anatolia in modern-day Turkey including Pope Conon and Pope John VI.

EUROPE

St. Benedict of Nursia is patron of Europe.

Eastern Europe

Belarus: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990, 1995, 1997 • Benedict XVI 2009

Bulgaria: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1984
You can visit the Cathedral of the Dormition, which is part of the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church when you visit Sofia, Bulgaria.

Czechia/Czech Republic
You can visit Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, Brno when you visit the Czech Republic.

Hungary: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1991, 1996 • Francis 2021, 2023
You can visit the Cathedral of Hajdúdorog, which is part of the Hungarian Greek Catholic Church when you visit Debrecen, Hungary.

Moldova
You can visit Biserica romano-catolică din Bălți when you visit Moldova.

Poland: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1979, 1983, 1987, 1991 (2), 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002 • Benedict XVI 2006 • Francis 2016

1 pope is from Poland (St. Pope John Paul II).

World Youth Day: Częstochowa, Poland – August 10 – 15, 1991. You have received a spirit of children (Rom 8:15)

World Youth Day: Kraków, Poland – July 26 – 31, 2016. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. (Mt 5:7)

Our Lady of Gietrzwałd appeared in 1877 to 13-year-old girl named Justyna Szafryńska.

St. Faustina Kowalska OLM (August 25, 1905 – 5 October 5, 1938), had apparitions of Jesus Christ which inspired the Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy and earned her the title of “Secretary of Divine Mercy”.

Blessed Ulma family Józef and Wiktoria Ulma with Seven Children were a Polish Catholic family in Markowa, Poland, during the Nazi German occupation in World War II who attempted to rescue Polish Jewish families by hiding them in their own home during the Holocaust. They and their children were summarily executed on 24 March 24, 1944 for doing so.

Romania: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1999 • Francis 2019
You can visit the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, which is part of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church when you visit Blaj, Romania.

Slovakia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1995, 2003 • Francis 2021
You can visit Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, which is part of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church when you visit Prešov, Slovakia.

Blessed Cecília Schelingová (December 24, 1916 – July 31, 1955) was a Slovak Roman Catholic religious sister of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Holy Cross and a victim of communist persecution in the former Czechoslovakia.^[1] Schelingová worked for the most part in the hospital at Bratislava before her arrest and aided priests fleeing persecution from the totalitarian communist regime in her home nation.

The beatification was celebrated on 14 September 2003 on the occasion of Pope John Paul II visiting Slovakia.

Ukraine: Papal Visit – John Paul II 2001
You can visit the Cathedral of the Resurrection, which is part of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church when you visit Kyiv, Ukraine

Transnistria
All UN member states consider Transnistria a legal part of the Republic of Moldova. Only the partially recognised or unrecognised states of South Ossetia and Abkhazia have recognised Transnistria as a sovereign entity after it declared independence from Moldova in 1990 with Tiraspol as its declared capital.

You can visit Saint Cajetan Church, Rașcov when you visit Transnistria.

Northern Europe

Denmark: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989

The Faroe Islands is owned by Denmark in the European Area of the World.
You can visit St. Mary’s Church when you visit The Faroe Islands.

Greenland is owned by Denmark in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit the only Catholic church in Greenland Christ the King Church, Nuuk when you visit Greenland.

Estonia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1993 • Francis 2018

Finland: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989

Åland island is owned by Finland in the European area of the world.

If you want to learn the history of the Åland Islands, you should take your time traveling around and visiting the churches. It may be of importance to remind you that they were erected at a time when all of Scandinavia still belonged to the Catholic church, with rich continental networks.
–Åland churches – Visit Åland (visitaland.com)

Iceland: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989

Ireland: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1979 • Francis 2018

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock, commonly referred to as Knock Shrine, is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site and national shrine in the village of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland, where locals claimed to have seen an apparition in 1879 of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Evangelist, angels, and Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God).

Sister Clare Crockett, an Irish nun who died in the 2016 Ecuador earthquake lead an extremely holy life and may one day be canonized.

All or Nothing: Sr. Clare Crockett – Full Movie

Latvia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1993 • Francis 2018

Lithuania: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1993 • Francis 2018

Norway: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989

Bouvet Island is owned by Norway In The South America Region
which has been declared an uninhabited protected nature reserve. It is a subantarctic volcanic island, situated in the South Atlantic Ocean at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and is the world’s most remote island.

Bouvet Island represents a curious chapter in the untold story of Catholic missionary ambitions. While no formal missions to uninhabited lands like Bouvet Island have been documented, the history, theology, and symbolic gestures associated with such endeavors offer intriguing possibilities for understanding the Church’s universal mission. Whether viewed through the lens of the Great Commission, the patronage of Saint Francis Xavier, or the moral complexities surrounding environmental stewardship, the concept of missionary work in uninhabited lands adds another layer of depth to the Catholic Church’s rich tapestry of faith and action. Bouvet Island: The Untold Story of Catholic Missionaries in Uninhabited Lands (catholicshare.com)

In Europe Norway owns
Svalbard which is a archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. It is north of mainland Europe, and lies about midway between the northern coast of Norway and the North Pole. Most of the population is Christian. Most of the Norwegians are affiliated with the Church of Norway. The Arctic Cathedral is one of there churches you will find on the island in the town of Longyearbyen which is the world’s northernmost settlement with a population greater than 1,000, and the largest inhabited area of Svalbard, Norway. There might be a temporary Catholic mission there. Russian and Ukrainian population belongs to the Orthodox Church. Catholics on the archipelago are pastorally served by the Territorial Prelature of Tromsø.

Jan Mayen is a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean with no permanent population.

In Antarctica Peter I Island belongs to Norway
In Antarctica Queen Maud Land also belongs to Norway

Sweden: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1993 • Francis 2018

Saint Elizabeth Hesselblad OSsS (June 4, 1870 – April 24, 1957), was a Swedish religious sister who founded a new, active, branch of the Bridgettine order in the Roman Catholic Church, known as the “Bridgettine Sisters”. Hesselblad is recognised as a Righteous Among the Nations due to her efforts in World War II saving the lives of Jews during the genocide of the Holocaust.

United Kingdom

Papal Visit – John Paul II 1982 • Benedict XVI 2010

England is part of the UK on the Island of Great Britain.
1 pope has been from England (Pope Adrian IV).

Saint John Henry Newman (February 21, 1801 – August 11, 1890) was an English Anglican priest who converted and became Catholic priest and cardinal and who was a prolific writer.

You can visit Church of St Cyril of Turau and All the Patron Saints of the Belarusian People which is a Belarusian Greek Catholic Church in full communion with Rome when you visit Woodside Park, London.England.

Scotland is part of the UK on the Island of Great Britain
You can visit St Mary’s Cathedral, Aberdeen when you visit Scotland.

Wales is part of the UK on the Island of Great Britain.
You can visit Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Winefride, Amlwch when you visit Wales.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK on the Island of Ireland.
You can visit St Mary’s Church, Belfast when you visit Northern Ireland.

Blessed Columba Marmion O.S.B, born Joseph Aloysius Marmion (April 1, 1858 – January 30, 1923) was a Benedictine Irish monk and the third Abbot of Maredsous Abbey in Belgium. Columba was one of the most popular and influential Catholic authors of the 20th century. His books are considered spiritual classics.

Sark is part of the UK in the European Area of the World.
Sark has an Anglican church (St Peter’s, built 1820) and a Methodist church.

Gibraltar is part of the UK in the European Area of the World.
You can visit Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned when you visit Gibraltar.

Guernsey is part of the UK in the European Area of the World.It is one of the Channel Islands.
You can visit Catholic Church in Guernsey, Serving the Parish of Our Lady and the Saints of Guernsey when you visit Guernsey.

Isle of Man is part of the UK in the European Area of the World.
You can visit St. Mary of the Isle Church when you visit the Isle of Man.

Jersey is part of the UK in the European Area of the World. It is one of the Channel Islands.
You can visit St Thomas Church, Jersey when you visit Jersey.

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha are part of the UK in the Africa Area of the World.
You can visit St. Joseph Church, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas when you visit Saint Helena.

Anguilla is part of the UK in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Gerard Church, The Valley when you visit Anguilla.

Bermuda is part of the UK in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit Cathedral of Saint Theresa of Lisieux when you visit Bermuda.

British Virgin Islands is part of the UK in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. William’s Church, Road Town when you visit the British Virgin Islands.

Cayman Islands is part of the UK in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Ignatius Church, George Town when you visit the Cayman Islands.

Montserrat is part of the UK in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Patrick’s Church, Lookout when you visit Montserrat.

Turks and Caicos is part of the UK in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit Our Lady of Divine Providence Church, Providenciales when you visit Turks and Caicos.

Pitcairn Islands is part of the UK in Oceania.
The only church building on the island is Seventh-day Adventist.

Falkland Islands is part of the UK in the South American area of the world.
You can Visit St. Mary’s Church, Falkland Islands when you visit the Falkland Islands.

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands is part of the UK in the South American area of the world.
The South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited, and a very small non-permanent population resides on South Georgia.

The British Indian Ocean Territory located in the Asian Region of the world is owned by the UK.

Akrotiri and Dhekelia is a British Overseas Territory on the island of Cyprus. The areas, which include British military bases and installations formerly part of the Crown colony of Cyprus, were retained by the British under the 1960 treaty of independence signed by the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey and representatives from the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. The territory serves an important role as a station for signals intelligence and provides a vital strategic part of the United Kingdom surveillance-gathering network in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

In Antarctica there is the British Antarctic Territory owned by the UK.

Southern Europe

Albania: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1993 • Francis 2014
You can visit the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary and Saint Louis, which is part of the Albanian Greek Catholic Church when you visit Vlorë, Albania

Andorra
You can visit Church of St Martin, Ordino when you visit Andorra.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1997, 2003 • Francis 2015

Croatia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1994, 1998, 2003 • Benedict XVI 2011

2 popes have been from Dalmatia in modern-day Croatia including Pope Caius and Pope John IV.

You can visit Križevci Cathedral the cathedral of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Križevci when you visit Croatia.

Greece: Papal Visit – John Paul II 2001 • Francis 2016, 2021

4 popes have been from Greece. including Pope Anacletus, Pope Hyginus, Pope Eleutherius, and Pope Sixtus II.

You can visit Holy Trinity Cathedral, Athens a Greek Byzantine Catholic cathedral when you visit Athens, Greece.

Italy: 217 popes have been from Italy including St. John XXIII, Blessed Pope John Paul 1 and St. Paul XI

World Youth Day: Rome, Italy – March 30 – 31 1985 International Youth Year
World Youth Day: Rome, Italy – August 15 – 20, 2000. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14)

The Territorial Abbacy of Saint Mary of Grottaferrata is the only monastery of the Italian Basilian Order of Grottaferrata, (abbreviated O.S.B.I.), a religious order of the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church and you can visit it when you Grottaferrata, Rome, Lazio, Italy.
You can also visit the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome.

Basilica of St. John Lateran (Major Papal archbasilica)
St. Peter’s Basilica (Major Papal basilica)
Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (Major Papal basilica)
Basilica of St. Mary Major (Major Papal basilica)
Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls (Minor Papal basilica)
Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Minor basilica)
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love** (Shrine)
- formerly St. Sebastian Outside-the-Walls (Minor basilica), replaced on pilgrimage route by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000.

Pelagie Islands is owned by Italy in the African area of the world.
The Pelagie Islands are the three small islands of Lampedusa, Lampione, and Linosa, located in the Mediterranean Sea between Malta and Tunisia, south of Sicily. The Pelagie Islands have been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because they support breeding populations of Scopoli’s shearwaters and European shags.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (6 April 1901 – 4 July 1925) was an Italian Catholic activist and a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. He was dedicated to Catholic social justice issues and joined several charitable organizations, including Catholic Action and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul,to better aid the poor and less fortunate living in his hometown of Turin; he put his own pious beliefs into practice to cater to their needs and was best known for his devotion and amiable character. He may be canonized in 2025. Catholic News Agency

Blessed Chiara Badano was born the same year I was and if she was alive she would be the same age as I am. If I had known her when she was alive, I probably would have had a crush on her. She is beautiful and loves Jesus. What more could you ask for. I have asked for her intersession and I think she has helped us out with our daughter when she in some less then good circumstances. She was part of the Focolare Movement and corresponded with the founder of the movement Chiara Lubich on a regular basis. The Focolare Movement works to foster unity and universal fraternity at all levels of society. Like Pier Giorgio, Chiara enjoyed sports including tennis and swimming. She also liked listening to pop music, singing and dancing.

When she was dying of a rare form of bone cancer she didn’t want to comforted with morphine or pain relief medicines because she wanted to be aware of her pain and offer up her sufferings. She said, “It reduces my lucidity and there’s only one thing I can do now: to offer my suffering to Jesus because I want to share as much as possible in his sufferings on the cross.

Blessed Carlo Acutis ( May 3, 1991 – October 12, 2006) was an English-born Italian Catholic website designer best known for documenting Eucharistic miracles and approved Marian apparitions. He catalogued them on a website he created before his death from leukemia.

Malta: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1990 (2), 2001 • Benedict XVI 2010 • Francis 2022

Montenegro
You can visit Kotor Cathedral when you visit Montenegro.

North Macedonia: Papal Visit – Francis 2019
You can visit the Cathedral of the Assumption, which is part of the Macedonian Greek Catholic Church when you visit Strumica, North Macedonia.

Portugal: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1967 • John Paul II 1982, 1983, 1991, 2000 • Benedict XVI 2010 • Francis 2017, 2023

2 popes have been from Portugal including Pope Damasus I and Pope John XXI.

World Youth Day: Lisbon, Portugal. August 1 – 6, 2023. Mary arose and went with haste. (Lk 1:39)

Our Lady of Fátima is a Catholic title of Mary, mother of Jesus, based on the Marian apparitions reported in 1917 by three shepherd children at the Cova da Iria in Fátima, Portugal. The three children were Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto.

The Third Secret of Fatima – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World (youtube.com)

The Third Secret of Fatima Theories – Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World (youtube.com)

Azores
It is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira).
You can visit Cathedral of Angra do Heroísmo when you visit the Azores.

Madeira is owned by Portugal in the Africa area of the world.
You can visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption when you visit Madeira.

San Marino: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1982 • Benedict XVI 2011

Serbia
You can visit St. Theresa of Avila Cathedral, Subotica when you visit Serbia.

Kosovo in Europe is owned by Serbia.
You can Visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (Prizren) if you visit Kosovo.

Slovenia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1996, 1999

Spain: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1982, 1984, 1989, 1993, 2003 • Benedict XVI 2006, 2010, 2011

2 popes have been from Valencia in modern-day Spain including Pope Callixtus III and Pope Alexander VI.

World Youth Day: Santiago de Compostela Spain – August 19 – 20, 1989. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (Jn 14:6)

World Youth Day: Madrid, Spain – August 16 – 21, 2011. Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ, Firm in the Faith (Col 2:7)

Venerable Montserrat Grases (July 10, 1941 – March 26, 1959) was a Spanish secular member of Opus Dei. Grases became part of Opus Dei on 24 December 1957 after she discerned whether or not her path would allow her to join their ranks. Her cheerfulness and friendship with others made her a known figure for her piousness and her compassionate nature towards the poor and the ill since she would often catechize to children and tend to the poor in the poor regions in Barcelona alongside her friends. Grases further continued her studies despite her bone cancer and she continued to demonstrate a cheerful demeanor centered on offering her suffering for Opus Dei’s founder Saint Josemaría Escrivá and for both Venerable Pope Pius XII and St. Pope John XXIII who both reigned during her illness.

Balearic Islands are part of Spain in the European area of the World.
You can visit Diòcesi de Menorca when you visit the Balearic Islands.

The Canary Islands is owned by Spain in the Africa area of the World.
You can visit Las Palmas Cathedral when you visit The Canary Islands.

Ceuta is owned by Spain in the Africa area of the World.
You can visit Ceuta Cathedral when you visit Ceuta.

Melilla is owned by Spain in the Africa area of the World.
You can visit Sanctuary of Saint Mary of Africa when you visit Melilla.

Plazas de soberanía is owned by Spain in the Africa area of the World.
They are a series of Spanish overseas minor territories scattered along the Mediterranean coast bordering Morocco in Africa, or that are closer to Africa than Europe. This term is used for those territories that have been a part of Spain since the formation of the modern country (1492–1556), as opposed to African territories acquired by Spain during the 19th and early 20th centuries in the Scramble for Africa.

Vatican City (Holy See)

Where most popes have lived.

World Youth Day April 14 – 15, 1984. Holy Year of the Redemption: A Festival of Hope

Western Europe

Austria: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983, 1988, 1998 • Benedict XVI 2007

Servant of God Zita of Bourbon-Parma (May 9, 1892 – 14 March 14, 1989) was the wife of Blessed Charles I, the last monarch of Austria-Hungary. As such, she was the last Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, in addition to other titles.

Belgium: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985, 1995

Our Lady of Beauraing is the title of 32 Marian apparitions reported in Beauraing, Belgium, between November 1932 and January 1933 by five children whose ages ranged between 9 and 15.

Our Lady of Banneux or Our Lady of the Poor, is the sobriquet given to the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Mariette Beco, an adolescent girl living in Banneux, Liège Province, Belgium. Between 15 January and 2 March 1933 Beco told her family and parish priest of seeing a Lady in white who declared herself to be the “Virgin of the Poor”, saying I come to relieve suffering and Believe in me and I will believe in you.

France

France: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1996, 1997, 2004 • Benedict XVI 2008 • Francis 2014, 2023

16 Popes have been from France.

World Youth Day: Paris, France – August 19 – 24, 1997. Teacher, where do you live? Come and see (cf. Jn 1:38–39)

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque , VHM (July 22, 1647 – October 17, 1690) was a French Catholic Visitation nun and mystic who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form.

Our Lady of Laus or Refuge of Sinners denotes Marian apparitions that took place between 1664 and 1718 in Saint-Étienne-le-Laus, France, to Benoîte Rencurel, a young shepherdess.

The Miraculous Medal is a devotional medal, the design of which was originated by Catherine Labouré following her apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal of Paris, France.

Our Lady of La Salette is a Marian apparition reported by two French children, Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat, to have occurred at La Salette-Fallavaux, France, in 1846.

The apparitions our Our Lady of Lourdes are several Marian apparitions reported in 1858 by Bernadette Soubirous, the 14-year-old daughter of a miller, in the town of Lourdes in Southern France.

Our Lady of Pontmain, also known as Our Lady of Hope, is the title given to the Virgin Mary following her apparition at Pontmain, France on 17 January 1871.

Blessed Alcide-Vital Lataste OP (September 5, 1832 – 10 March 10, 1869) was a French Catholic priest of the Dominican Order. He established the Dominican Sisters of Bethany in 1867 in order to work with the women who were abused or were from prisons. They aimed to spread the merciful love of Jesus Christ to these women.

Corsica is an island that is part of France in Europe.
You can visit Ajaccio Cathedral when you visit Corsica.

Mayotte is owned by France in the African Area of the World.
You can visit Our Lady of Fatima Church, Mamoudzou when you visit Mayotte.

Reunion is owned by France in the African Area of the World.
Papal Visit – John Paul II 1989

Blessed Jean-Bernard Rousseau, FSC (March 22,1797 – April 13, 1867) was a French Catholic member of the De La Salle Brothers. He assumed the religious name Scubilion upon his profession and was dubbed the “Catechist of Slaves” due to his extensive decades-spanning work on Réunion Island.

Clipperton Island is owned by France in the North American Area of the World.
It is uninhabited French coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The only French territory in the North Pacific, Clipperton is 10,675 km (6,633 mi) from Paris, France; 5,400 km (2,900 nmi) from Papeete, French Polynesia; and 1,280 km (690 nmi) from Acapulco, Mexico.

Guadeloupe is owned by France in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit Basse-Terre Cathedral when you visit Guadeloupe.

Martinique is owned by France in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Louis Cathedral, Fort-de-France when you visit Martinique.

Saint Barthélemy is owned by France in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Gustavia when you visit Saint Barthélemy.

Saint Martin is owned by France in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Martin of Tours’ Church, Marigot when you visit St. Martins.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon is owned by France in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Pierre Cathedral, Saint-Pierre when you visit Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

French Polynesia is owned by France in Oceania. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls^[5] stretching over more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) in the South Pacific Ocean.
You can visit the oldest Catholic church in Tahiti Notre Dame Cathedral, Papeete when you visit French Polynesia.

New Caledonia is owned by France in Oceania.
You can visit Nouméa Cathedral when you visit New Caledonia.

Wallis and Futuna is owned by France in Oceania.
The CIA World Fact Book lists Wallis and Futuna as 99% Catholic.
You can visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Mata-Utu when you visit Wallis and Futuna.

French Guiana is owned by France in the South American Area of the World.
You can visit Cayenne Cathedral when you visit French Guiana.

The French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the Africa Region of the world is owned by France. The entire territory has no known permanently settled inhabitants.
In Antarctica Adélie Land is owned by France

Germany: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1980, 1987, 1996 • Benedict XVI 2005, 2006, 2011

6 popes have been from Germany including Pope Gregory V, Pope Clement II, Pope Damasus II, Pope Leo IX, Pope Victor II, and Pope Benedict XVI

Retired Pope Benedict XVI, pictured in a 2008 file photo, celebrated his 93rd birthday April 16, 2020. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz) See BENEDICT-93 April 16, 2020.

Liechtenstein: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985

World Youth Day: Cologne, Germany – August 16 – 21, 2005. We have come to worship Him (Mt 2:2)

Luxembourg: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985

Monaco
You can visit the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate when you visit Monaco.

Netherlands

Netherlands: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985

1 pope has been from the Netherlands (Pope Adrian VI).

Saint Arnold Janssen SVD (November 5, 1837 – January 15, 1909), was a German-Dutch Catholic priest and missionary who is venerated as a saint. He founded the Society of the Divine Word, a Catholic missionary religious congregation, also known as the Divine Word Missionaries, as well as two congregations for women. In 1889 he founded in Steyl, Netherlands, the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit and in 1896 at the same place the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters.

Saint Titus Brandsma OCarm (February 23, 1881 – July 26, 1942) was a Dutch Carmelite friar, Catholic priest and professor of philosophy. Brandsma was vehemently opposed to Nazi ideology and spoke out against it many times before the Second World War. He was imprisoned at the Dachau concentration camp, where he was murdered.

Aruba is owned by the Netherlands in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Francis of Assisi Church, Oranjestad when you visit Aruba.

Bonaire is owned by the Netherlands in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Bernard Church, Kralendijk when you visit Bonaire.

Curaçao is owned by the Netherlands in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit Basilica of St. Anne, Willemstad when you visit Curacao.

Saba is owned by the Netherlands in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit Sacred Heart Church when you visit Saba.

Sint Eustatius is owned by the Netherlands in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Eustatius Church (Oranjestad) when you visit Sint Eustatius.

Sint Maarten is owned by the Netherlands in the North American Area of the World.
You can visit St. Martin of Tours’ Church when you visit Sint Maarten.

Switzerland: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1969 • John Paul II 1982, 1984, 1985, 2004 • Francis 2018

The Americas

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron of the Americas

North America:

St. Isaac Jogues is the patron saint of North America

Canada:

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Papal Visits
John Paul II 1984, 1987, 2002
Francis 2022

World Youth Day: Toronto, Canada – July 22 – 28, 2002. You are the salt of the earth … you are the light of the world (Mt 5:13–14)

You can visit FSSP Edmonton – Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter when you visit Alberta Canada.

St. André Bessette C.S.C. (August 9, 1845 – January 6, 1937) was the first Canadian living after Confederation to be canonized.

United States of America

Papal Visits
Paul VI 1965
John Paul II 1979, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1993, 1995, 1999
Benedict XVI 2008
Francis 2015

Andrews Air Force Base arrival of Pope Benedict XVI

World Youth Day: Denver, United States – August 10 – 15, 1993. I came that they might have life, and have it to the full (Jn 10:10)

Belgian-born woman, Adele Brise (1931 – July 5, 1896) reported seeing apparitions of Our Lady of Champion in Champion, Wisconsin, United States in the year 1859.

You can visit Saint Andrew’s Russian Greek Catholic Church when you visit El Segundo, CA.

You can also visit the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, which is part of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church when you visit Pittsburgh, PA United States

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini was the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint by the Catholic Church, on July 7, 1946.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton SC (August 28, 1774 – January 4, 1821) was the first person born in what would become the United States to be canonized by the Catholic Church (September 14, 1975).

US Permanently Inhabited Territories

Puerto Rico: Papal Visits – John Paul II 1984

Blessed Carlos Manuel Cecilio Rodríguez Santiago (1918–1963), was a Catholic catechist and liturgist who was beatified by Pope John Paul II on April 29, 2001. He is the first Puerto Rican and the first Caribbean-born layperson in history to be beatified.

US Virgin Islands –
St. Therese Church – Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church is a church you can visit if you visit the Virgin Islands.

American Samoa: Papal Visit- Paul VI 1970

Guam: Papal Visit- John Paul II 1981

St. Pedro Calungsod (mid-1650s – April 2, 1672) died in Guam and was canonized along with native-american St. Kateri Tekakwitha the Lily of the Mohawks (1656 – April 17, 1680) and were canonized by Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter’s Basilica on 21 October 2012.

Northern Mariana Islands –
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL CATHEDRAL in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa is a church you can visit if you visit the Northern Mariana Islands.

United States Minor Outlying Islands

Most of these islands and Atolls are uninhabited or used for the military or scientists and one is used as a nature reserve as well.

Navassa Island is in North America.

The Rest of the islands are located in Oceania.

Baker Island
Howland Island
Jarvis Island
Johnston Atoll
Kingman Reef
Midway Atoll
Palmyra Atoll
Wake Island

Antarctica– US has a Right To Claim Territory but doesn’t have any in Antarctica.

North America Islands

Dominican Republic: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1979, 1984, 1992
You can visit St. Philip the Apostle Cathedral, Puerto Plata when you visit the Dominican Republic

Trinidad and Tobago: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985
You can visit Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Port of Spain) when you visit Trinidad and Tobago

Antigua and Barbuda
You can visit St. John’s when you visit Antigua and Barbuda.

Barbados
You can visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Bridgetown when you visit Barbados.

Dominica
You can visit Roseau Cathedral when you visit Dominica.

Grenada
You can visit Immaculate Conception Cathedral, St. George’s when you visit Grenada.

Haiti: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, Port-au-Prince was destroyed in the 2010 Haitian earthquake and has not been rebuilt yet.

Zilda Arns (August 25, 1934 – January 12, 2010) was a Brazilian pediatrician and aid worker. A sister of Cardinal Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns, the former Archbishop of São Paulo known for his efforts against the Brazilian military dictatorship, Zilda Arns became internationally known by founding a Catholic pastoral care for poor children. Her humanitarian work, which also included the poor and the elderly, spanned over three decades.

Jamaica: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1993
You can visit Most Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Montego Bay when you visit Jamaica.

Cuba: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1998 • Benedict XVI 2012 • Francis 2015, 2016
You can visit Havana Cathedral when you visit Cuba.

Bahamas: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1979
You can visit St. Anselm Parish when you visit the Bahamas.

Saint Kitts and Nevis
You can Visit Basseterre Co-Cathedral of Immaculate Conception when you visit Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1986
You can visit the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception when you visit Saint Lucia.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
You can visit Assumption Cathedral, Kingstown when you visit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

South of the Border

Mexico:

Papal Visits
John Paul II 1979, 1990, 1993, 1999, 2002
Benedict XVI 2012
Francis 2016

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared in a series of five apparitions to a Mexican peasant named St. Juan Diego and his uncle, Juan Bernardino, which are believed to have occurred in December 1531, when the Mexican territories were under the Spanish Empire.

Saint José Sánchez del Río (March 28, 1913 – February 10, 1928) was a Mexican Cristero who was put to death by government officials because he refused to renounce his Catholic faith.

Central America

Belize: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983

Costa Rica: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983

El Salvador: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983, 1996

St. Óscar Romero (August 15, 1917 – March 24, 1980) A Bishop in El Salvador who was killed by a right wing mercenary.

Guatemala: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983, 1996, 2002

Honduras: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983

Nicaragua: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983, 1996

The apparitions of Our Lady of Cuapa started on April 15, 1980 to A sacristan named Bernardo Martinez.

Panama : Papal Visit – John Paul II 1983 • Francis 2019

World Youth Day: Panama City, Panama. January 22 – 27. I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word (Lk 1:38)

South America

St. Rose of Lima is patron of South America.

She is the first person born in the Americas to be canonized.

Suriname: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1987, 1988

Venezuela: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985, 1996

Maria Esperanza de Bianchini had several Marian apparitions among her many mystical experiences. In one event on March 25, 1984, 150 other people also said they saw the Blessed Mother along with Maria Esperanza. The apparition is known under the title “Mary, Virgin and Mother, Reconciler of All Peoples and Nations”.

Nueva Esparta Island located in South America is owned by Venezuela.
You can visit The Basilica of Our Lady of El Valle is a Gothic Revival basilica located in El Valle del Espíritu Santo a town on the island of Margarita, of Nueva Esparta state in northwestern Venezuela.

Argentina: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1982, 1987
In Antarctica there is the Argentine Antarctica section.

1 pope is from Argentina (Pope Francis).

World Youth Day: Buenos Aires, Argentina – April 6 – 12, 1987 “We have recognized the love that God has for us, and we have believed in it.”(1 Jn 4:16)

Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolás is a title of veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a reported private revelation to Gladys Quiroga de Motta, a middle-aged housewife, beginning in the 1980s in the city of San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Argentina

St. María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa ( 1730 – March 7, 1799) was an Argentine Catholic religious sister who established the Daughters of the Divine Savior. She later became known as Mama Antula.

Chile: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1987 • Francis 2018

Easter Island is located in Oceania is owned by Chile.
You can visit The Holy Cross Church if you visit Easter Island. It is located on Te Pito Te Henua Street in the city of Hanga Roa, the capital and greater city of the Easter Island. The church was established in 1937, its first priest being Father Sebástian Englert (November 17, 1888 – January 8, 1969). The Father Sebastian Englert Anthropological Museum located on Easter Island is named after him.

St. Teresa of the Andes (1900–1920) is Chile’s first saint and is popular more so among women and adolescents. Teresa of Jesus was the first Discalced Carmelite outside of Europe to be proclaimed as a saint and is the fifth saint of the order with the name “Teresa”.

Juan Fernández Islands is located in Oceania is owned by Chile.
The islands are primarily known for having been the home to the marooned sailor Alexander Selkirk for more than four years from 1704, which may have inspired English writer Daniel Defoe‘s Robinson Crusoe.

In Antarctica there is the Chilean Antarctic Territory (Chile)

Guyana: ONLY SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY WITH NO PAPAL VISIT
You can visit Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Georgetown when you visit Guyana.

Brazil: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1980, 1982, 1991, 1997 • Benedict XVI 2007 • Francis 2013
Brazil has a Right To Claim Territory but doesn’t have any in Antarctica.

World Youth Day: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. July 23 – 28, 2013. Go and make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19)

Our Lady of Tears is one of the Marian invocations attributed to the Virgin Mary and which originated in the apparitions received by Sister Amalia of Jesus Flagellated in the chapel of the convent of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Jesus Crucified, located in the city of Campinas, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The apparitions took place in the year 1930.

Our Lady of Graces is a series of visions of the Virgin Mary that occurred in 1936 and 1937 in Northeastern Brazil, in the Pernambuco state municipality of Pesqueira, district of Cimbres.

Colombia: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1968 • John Paul II 1986 • Francis 2017

San Andrés and Providencia is owned by Colombia in the Oceania Territories.
You can visit Parroquia San Judas Tadeo when you visit San Andrés.

Colombia has has sovereignty over
Bajo Nuevo Bank which is a small, uninhabited reef with some small grass-covered islets, located in the western Caribbean Sea at 15°53′N 78°38′W, with a lighthouse on Low Cay at 15°51′N 78°38′W in the North American area of the world.

Colombia also has sovereignty over
Serranilla Bank which is a partially submerged reef, with small uninhabited islets, in the western Caribbean Sea located in the North American area of the world.

Ecuador : Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985 • Francis 2015

A religious sister, Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres, reported that the Virgin Mary appeared to her at the Conceptionist Convent in Quito, Ecuador, under the title “Our Lady of the Good Event “.

The Galápagos Islands in Oceania are owned by Ecuador.
They are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Eastern Pacific, located around the Equator 900 km (560 mi) west of South America. The Galápagos are famous for their large number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin in the 1830s and inspired his theory of evolution by means of natural selection. All of these islands are protected as part of Ecuador’s Galápagos National Park and Marine Reserve.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral, in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is a church you can visit if you visit the Galapagos Islands.

Paraguay: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1988 • Francis 2015

Peru: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1985, 1988 • Francis 2018
Peru has a Right To Claim Territory but doesn’t have any in Antarctica.

Bolivia: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1988 • Francis 2015

Uruguay: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1987, 1988

Oceania and Australia

St. Peter Chanel is patron of Oceania.

Australia: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1970 • John Paul II 1986, 1995 • Benedict XVI 2008

World Youth Day: Sydney, Australia – July 15 – 20, 2008. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses. (Ac 1:8)

(CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano) (Jan. 14, 2011) See JPII-BEATIFICATION Jan. 14, 2011.

St. Mary MacKillop, (January 15, 1842 – August 8, 1909)founder of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and the first Australian to be recognised by the Catholic Church as a saint.

Coral Sea Islands is owned by Australia in Oceania.
The Coral Sea Islands Territory is an external territory of Australia which comprises a group of small and mostly uninhabited tropical islands and reefs in the Coral Sea, north-east of Queensland, Australia. The only inhabited island is Willis Island.

Norfolk Island is owned by Australia in Oceania.
You can visit St. Philip Howard Church, Kingston when you visit Norfolk Island.

Ashmore and Cartier Islands is owned by Australia in Oceania.
It is is an uninhabited Australian external territory consisting of four low-lying tropical islands in two separate reefs (Ashmore and Cartier), as well as the 12-nautical-mile (22 km; 14 mi) territorial sea generated by the islands.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands is owned by Australia in Oceania.
They are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and relatively close to the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The majority religion of the Cocos Islands is Islam, with 65.6% of the total population identifying as Muslim, followed by Unspecified (15.3%), Non-religious (14.0%), Catholic (2.0%), Anglican (1.5%). The remaining 1.6% of Cocos Islanders identify as secular or hold various other beliefs (including atheism, agnosticism and unspecified spiritual beliefs).

Christmas Island
The Territory of Christmas Island is an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name. It is located approximately 350 kilometres (190 nautical miles) south of Java and Sumatra and about 1,550 km (840 nmi) north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland.

The first European to sight the island was Richard Rowe of the Thomas in 1615. Captain William Mynors of the East India Company vessel Royal Mary named the island when he sailed past it on Christmas Day in 1643. But yet religious beliefs are diverse and include Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam and Confucianism.

Our Catholic faith community is a small and close-knit community. We come together every Sunday to celebrate a Communion Service. After the service we normally have a chat about anything and everything. A few of us are involved in the care and maintenance and also the administrative work of the Church. I am also the Special Eucharistic Minister.

There have been some 46 priests who have visited the island from 1979 until now.
Life on the peripheries: The Catholic community of Christmas Island | The Record

The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands is an Australian external territory comprising a volcanic group of mostly barren Antarctic islands, about two-thirds of the way from Madagascar to Antarctica. They contain Australia’s only two active volcanoes. The islands are among the most remote places on Earth.

In Antarctica the Australian Antarctic Territory is owned by Australia.

New Zealand: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1986

Venerable Suzanne Aubert ( June 19, 1835 – October 1, 1926), better known to many by her religious name Mary Joseph or “Mother Aubert”, was a religious sister who started a home for orphans and the under-privileged in Jerusalem, New Zealand on the Whanganui River in 1885.

Cook Islands is in association with New Zealand in Oceania.
You can visit St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Avarua when you visit the Cook Islands.

Niue is owned by New Zealand in Oceania.
You can visit Our Lady of the Rosary Church when you visit Niue.

Tokelau is owned by New Zealand in Oceania.
You can visit Nukunonu Church when you visit Tokelau.

Chatham Islands is owned by New Zealand in Oceania.
You can visit St Teresa of Lisieux Parish, Riccarton when you visit The Chatman Islands.

In Antarctica the Ross Dependency is owned by New Zealand.

Fiji: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1986
You can visit Sacred Heart Cathedral, Suva when you visit Fiji.

Kiribati
You can visit Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Koinawa when you visit Kiribati

Marshall Islands – Wikipedia Oceania and Australia
You can visit the Cathedral of the Assumption, Majuro when you visit the Marshall Islands.

Micronesia (The Federated States of)
You can visit Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral (Weno, Chuuk) when you visit Micronesia.

Nauru
You can visit Christ the King Church, Arubo when you visit Nauru

Palau
You can visit St. Joseph Church when you visit Palau

Samoa: Papal Visit – Paul VI 1970
You can visit Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Apia when you visit Samoa.

Solomon Islands: Papal Visit – John Paul II 1984
You can visit Holy Cross Cathedral, Honiara when you visit the Solomon Islands.

Tonga
Tonga sent a delegation of young people for the first time to World Youth Day 2008 when it was held in Sydney, Australa

You can visit St. Mary’s Cathedral when you visit Tonga

First mass in Tonga, depicted on a glass-in-lead window of the Catholic Church of Lapaha.

Tuvalu The Catholic community is served by the Mission Sui Iuris of Funafuti. The sole Catholic church in the country is Teone Church in Vaiaku.
You can visit Teone Church when you visit Tuvalu.

Vanuatu
You can visit Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur, Port Vila when you visit Vanuatu.

Papua New Guinea, a country comprising the eastern half of the island of New Guinea
Papal Visit – John Paul II 1984, 1995