Pittsburgh Catholic is the official Catholic news source for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, serving the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, and Washington in southwestern Pennsylvania. It was established in 1844 by Pittsburgh's first bishop, Michael O'Connor, and has been described as the oldest Catholic newspaper in continuous publication in the United States.
History and Publication
The newspaper was founded in 1844 and operated as a weekly publication for most of its history. According to the Pittsburgh Business Times Book of Lists, it was the largest weekly publication in western Pennsylvania and the second-largest newspaper in the region. Print publication was suspended in March 2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned as an online news source in September 2020 and is currently published six times per year in a magazine format.
Content and Editorial Stance
The Pittsburgh Catholic covered news about events throughout the diocese, local diocesan schools, community and charity programs organized by local Catholic organizations, reviews and commentary on contemporary media, question-and-answer forums by priests explaining church doctrine, and editorials on Church issues. The publication was generally considered conservative in orientation, reflecting the views of former Bishop Donald Wuerl, though it focused primarily on local rather than national issues.
Distribution
The print version was distributed free of charge at most churches and Catholic outlets within the Diocese of Pittsburgh, with churches purchasing the newspaper in bulk. At its peak, the publication had a total market of 111,250 Catholics.
Organization
The Pittsburgh Catholic is a member of the Catholic Press Association. It is owned by the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and its general manager is Jennifer Antkowiak. Its ISSN is 0032-0323, and its headquarters are located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
