St. Genevieve, Missouri
This little-known Catholic spot in the US is nevertheless one of the most significant. Founded by Canadian settlers and migrants from east of the Mississippi River in 1735, it is the
oldest permanent European settlement in Missouri. The city was named after the 5th-century St. Genevieve, patron saint of Paris, France, since so many of its founders were French. The large and beautiful church, at the center of the town, was built by the villagers, who also named it after the saint.