ðə tˈɜːm "kˈæɾɐkˌoʊm tʃˈɜːtʃ" bɪɡˈæn təbi ˈæktɪvli jˈuːzd ɪnðə wˈɜːks ʌv , ɐ fˈɪɡjɚɹ ʌvðə dʒˈoʊsfaɪt mˈuːvmənt hˌuː flˈɛd tə wˈɛstɚn jˈʊɹɹəp ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈoːɹ, ˌʌndɚ ðɪ ˈɪnfluːəns ʌv hˌuːz wˈɜːks ðɪs tˈɜːm bɪkˌeɪm wˈaɪdspɹɛd ɪn ˈɛmɪɡɹənt pˌiəɹɪˈɑːdɪkəlz.
The term "Catacomb Church" began to be actively used in the works of , a figure of the Josephite movement who fled to Western Europe in 1944, under the influence of whose works this term became widespread in emigrant periodicals.