Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- This collection documents issues significant to the Catholic community through series that reflect the Catholic Herald newspaper's operation from 1908 until 2006. At the time of this finding aid, the Catholic Herald still operates online. It includes the Catholic Herald photo morgue, focusing on church officials who served in the Sacramento Diocese from the 1970s to the 1980s. It also includes church publications, correspondence, negatives, photographs, sermons, written histories, and newspaper design elements such as headlines, cutlines, and mug shots. Materials date from 1908 to 2007 with bulk from 1950 to 2000. Notably, the collection contains information on the 1988 refurbishing of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento.
- Extent:
- 11.08 Linear Feet (2 cartons, 1 manuscript box, 1 half manuscript box, 7 photograph drawers, and 1 oversized box)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item, prepared according to standard citation style such as MLA, ALA, or Turabian], [MS0130], The Catholic Herald Collection, Center for Sacramento History.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection documents issues significant to the Catholic community through series that reflect the Catholic Herald newspaper's operation from 1908 until 2006. At the time of this finding aid, the Catholic Herald still operates online. The collection is organized into two series. The first series, the Catholic Herald photo morgue includes negatives and photographs documenting the different subseries from 1860-2006 with the bulk of the photographs covering 1940-2000. These sub-series include the Popes, Vatican City, Priests, Sisters, Brothers, Bishops, Dominicans, Deacons, Laywomen, Jesuits, Franciscans, and Cardinals, focusing on church officials who served in the Sacramento Diocese from the 1970s to the 1980s.
The second series, Catholic Herald records, consists of church publications, correspondence, negatives, photographs, sermons, written histories, and newspaper design elements such as headlines, cutlines, and mug shots. Materials date from 1908 to 2007 with bulk from 1950 to 2000. Notable information includes copies of photographs and one unprinted negative of a young Father Monogue, pictures and information regarding the 1988 refurbishing of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento, a file containing photographs of Former Parishes, in addition to many early church photographs and written histories.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Irish Catholic journalist, Thomas A. Connelly, launched The Catholic Herald from a printer's shop at Third and J Streets. The first issue was released on March 14, 1908. In a letter on the front page, Bishop Thomas Grace of Sacramento gave his blessing to the privately-owned and financed publication.
For two decades, Connelly and the Catholic Herald covered matters of faith in addition to local, national, and world news significant to Catholics, including Ireland's struggle for independence. When Connelly died in 1929, Bishop Robert Armstrong affiliated the Diocese of Sacramento with The Register, a chain of national Catholic newspapers. Headed by Monsignor Patrick McHugh, the newly-christened Superior California Register published in 1931. That name was held while Monsignor James Casey edited the paper from 1940 to 1947. The priest in a 1978 interview said he relied on a good core of volunteers to contribute news items. Coverage of areas outside of Sacramento was strong as many priests in rural areas took an active interest in the paper.
Priest editors Patrick McHugh, James Casey, Richard Dwyer, John Terwilliger, and Eymard Gallagher continually worked on improving the paper. In 1949, Fathers Dwyer and Terwilliger began printing the newspaper in the diocese with the Herald Printing Company, reinstating the name Catholic Herald.
After Monsignor Dwyer left The Herald in 1958 to establish St. John Vianney Parish in Rancho Cordova, Monsignor Eymard Gallagher served as editor from 1958 to 1974, including the years of the Second Vatican Council. Subsequent editors included UC Berkeley-trained Father James Murphy (1974-1985), and Salvatorian Father George Schuster who took over as editor in 1985. When Father Schuster died of a heart attack seven years later, Patrick Joyce served as interim editor until Julie Sly was appointed by Bishop William K. Weigand in December 1994. Sly was the first layperson and woman to head The Herald since it became a diocesan publication.
The Catholic Herald aimed to be a credible source for the Catholic community, giving local perspective to events occurring on the national and world scene while covering the ethnic and economic diversity, geographic differences, and varying theological points of view in the diocese.
The paper is also associated with a sister publication, El Heraldo Catolico started in 1979 while Monsignor Murphy was the editor. At that time, The Herald was already publishing one page of news in Spanish. El Heraldo became the first diocesan Spanish-language newspaper, however, its publication was met with protests by those who thought the Spanish-language paper was an attempt to isolate Hispanics rather than reach them. The diocesan media and El Heraldo specifically were extremely involved with the farmworker movement and other social justice issues of the time. El Heraldo Católico contains both national news and local coverage as the monthly Spanish language newspaper for the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Dioceses of Oakland and Sacramento.
- Acquisition information:
- Donated by the Catholic Herald in 2007 (accession #2007/037).
- Processing information:
-
Processing by Michael Rodriquez, 2009; Sharon Kelley, 2009; and Lisa DeHope, 2009. Editing by Sabrina Holecko, 2024.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is arranged into 2 series:
- Series 1. Catholic Herald photo morgue, 1860-2006 (bulk 1940-2000)
- Subseries 1.1. People, 1921-1999 (bulk 1960-1990)
- Subseries 1.2. Religious Orders, 1860-1992 (bulk 1950-1992)
- Subseries 1.3. Parishes, 1881-2006 (bulk 1950-2000)
- Subseries 1.4. Schools, 1945-2002
- Subseries 1.5. Subject files, 1915-2000 (bulk 1950-1990)
- Subseries 1.6. Diocese of Sacramento publication images, undated
- Series 2. Catholic Herald records, 1908-2007 (bulk 1950-2000)
- Subseries 2.1. People, 1946-1992
- Subseries 2.2. Religious Orders, 1948-1996
- Subseries 2.3. Parishes, 1910-2007 (bulk 1950-1999)
- Subseries 2.4. Schools, 1955-2000
- Subseries 2.5. Subject files, 1908-2005 (bulk 1980-1990)
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection contains social security numbers, which will be redacted before access.
- Terms of access:
-
All requests to publish or quote from private manuscripts held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted in writing to csh@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron. No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item, prepared according to standard citation style such as MLA, ALA, or Turabian], [MS0130], The Catholic Herald Collection, Center for Sacramento History.
- Location of this collection:
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551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.Sacramento, CA 95811, US
- Contact:
- (916) 808-7072