In the Americas, Asia, and Africa during the Age of Discovery, most Catholic missions were run by religious orders including the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, and Jesuits.
Notes on verification
Multiple independent sources explicitly confirm this claim with consistent information. Four corroborating sources including religious encyclopedias and historical archives provide clear documentation of these four religious orders' primary role in Catholic missions during this period.
Sources
- Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery (wikipedia)