The ''Pittsburgh Catholic'' is the weekly

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

news source for the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh The Diocese of Pittsburgh ( la, Diœcesis Pittsburgensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in Western Pennsylvania established on August 11, 1843. The diocese includes 61 parish-groupings (107 chur ...

, published for lay people, clergy and religious. It labeled itself as the oldest Catholic newspaper in continuous publication in the U.S. The newspaper was established in 1844 by Pittsburgh's first bishop,

Michael O'Connor Michael O'Connor may refer to: Politicians * Michael O'Connor (Australian politician) (1865–1940), Australian politician * Michael O'Connor (Wisconsin politician) (1856–1925), Wisconsin State Assemblyman * Michael J. O'Connor (politici ...

. According to its website, the ''Catholic'' had a total market of 111,250 Catholics. Publication was suspended in March 2020 due to the effects of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

but returned as an online news source on September 25, 2020. The print version of the ''Catholic'' was available for free at most churches and Catholic outlets or centers in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, as churches purchased the newspaper in bulk for 21 cents per copy. Articles included news about events occurring throughout the diocese, articles on local diocesan schools, features on community and charity programs orchestrated by local Catholic organizations, reviews and commentary on contemporary media, question-and-answer forums by priests to explain church doctrine, and editorials on Church issues. The former Bishop of Pittsburgh,

Donald Wuerl Donald William Wuerl (born November 12, 1940) is an American prelate, a cardinal, of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Washington, D.C., from 2006 to 2018. He was elevated by Pope John Paul II to serve as auxiliary bishop of S ...

, was generally seen as a conservative bishop. As a result, the ''Pittsburgh Catholic'' was considered a conservative publication as well. However, because the newspaper is oriented towards the local region, it rarely contained extensive commentary on national issues. According to the ''

Pittsburgh Business Times American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor News ...

Book of Lists'', the ''Pittsburgh Catholic'' was the largest weekly publication in western

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and the second-largest newspaper in western Pennsylvania. The ''Pittsburgh Catholic'' is a member of the

Catholic Press Association The Catholic Media Association, formerly the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada, is an association of American and Canadian newspaper and media specialists specialized on reporting on the Catholic Church. Founded in 1911, it ...

. Its general manager, Robert P. Lockwood, was nominated as finalist for the association's annual

St. Francis de Sales Francis de Sales (french: François de Sales; it, Francesco di Sales; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to ...

Award.

References

External links

Official Website of the ''Pittsburgh Catholic''Diocese of Pittsburgh Website
Catholic newspapers published in the United States Defunct newspapers published in Pittsburgh Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Publications established in 1844 {{Pennsylvania-newspaper-stub