In 1634, voyagers left England in search of religious tolerance and opportunities for a better life, landed on an island in the Potomac River, and gave thanks for their safe journey. On St. Clement’s Island they took possession of the colony, and the first Roman Catholic Mass in the English speaking colonies was offered there. St. Mary’s County, Maryland’s oldest county, later developed a character that blends a vibrant technology-based economy with its rural past. The county is home to Historic St. Mary’s City, Maryland’s first capital, and to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, a leader in military aviation and advanced technology.