Maryland has a unique religious history. It was founded in 1632 by George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, as a safe haven for English Catholics escaping religious persecution, making it a cradle of American Catholicism. The **Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary** in Baltimore is the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States.
Today, Maryland is highly diverse. While Catholic and mainline Protestant denominations maintain a strong presence, the state is also home to large Jewish communities (particularly in Montgomery and Baltimore counties), as well as vibrant Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist communities, reflecting its modern, multicultural population.