Religion had traditionally been an intrinsic part of Puerto Rican culture until the U.S. invasion in 1898, with the Roman Catholic Church the de facto state church in the Island. The Roman Catholic Ponce Cathedral, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1839. The Royal Decree of Graces of 1815 had made it possible for non-Catholics to immigrate to Puerto Rico, but it still did require a vow of alliance to the Catholic Church for those non-Catholics agreeing to settle in the island. Ponce was the first city in Puerto Rico to have Protestant churches.
With the U.S. invasion there was a significant change in the religious landscape in the City and in Puerto Rico at large. "The Protestant missionaries followed the footprints of the United States soldiers, right after the Treaty of Paris was ratified and Puerto Rico was ceded to the American government." By March 1899, eight months after the occupation, executives from the Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists, Presbyterians, and others, had arranged for an evangelical division whereby Ponce would have Evangelical, Baptist, and Methodist "campaigns". With the passing of the Foraker Act in 1900, which established total separation between Church and State, the absolute power of the Catholic Church eroded quickly. Various churches were then established and built in Ponce that are today historic sites. Among them are the McCabe Memorial Church (Methodist) (1908), and the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church (Episcopalian) (1907).
The bells of the Episcopalian-faith Holy Trinity Church in Barrio Cuarto, ran for the first time upon the arrival of the Americans on July 25, 1898. Built in 1873, the church was allowed to function by the Spanish Crown under the conditions that its bell would not be rung, its front doors would always remain closed and its services would be offered in English only.
Today, Ponce is home to a mix of religious faiths; both Protestants and
