Archives & Records Center of the Diocese of Pittsburgh

07/15/2025

06/29/2025

Today we are happy to be in attendance at the Heinz History Center's first Czech and Slovak Genealogy Workshop. As always, we've met some new friends, and connected with some old ones. Maybe we'll see you at the next one?

Either way, take care and have a great Sunday!

06/04/2025

Congratulations to Bishop Mark Eckman!

The Holy See announced today at 6:00 a.m. local time that Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop David A. Zubik, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 this past September. At the same time, the Holy Father has appointed Auxiliary Bishop Mark A. Eckman as the 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

https://diopitt.org/news/the-holy-see-announces-the-appointment-of-bishop-mark-eckman-as-13th-bishop-of-pittsburgh

05/08/2025

Habemus Papam!

We have a new pope! Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, originally from Chicago, Illinois, has been elected the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church. He has chosen to take on the name Pope Leo XIV. Please pray for our new Vicar of Christ.

01/23/2025

*MYSTERY SOLVED - the image is from St. RAPHAEL Church, Morningside*

Calling all Pittsburgh-area sleuths and gumshoes - we need some help!

Does anyone recognize this statue or the painting behind it? We are trying to narrow down the church building where this photo was taken (taken roughly 20 years ago), and we need your help.

Please place your suggestions and leads in the comments below.

Thank you in advance for any insight that you may have - and have a great day!

12/20/2024

Epiphany Church (Uptown, Pittsburgh) nativity scene, c. 1950s.

As we wind down operations for this calendar year, we want to wish each and every one of you a Blessed and Merry Christmas and a great start to the New Year.

The Archives & Records Center will be closed from now until early January 2025 when we will resume normal business hours and regular postings.

Until then, again, Merry Christmas!

May your photos be appropriately labelled, your sacramental registers replete with ample writing space , and all your important documents dated accurately!

12/19/2024

Last month volunteers and staff of the Archives and Records Center had a field day and visited Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Polish Hill (dedicated 1905) and St. Paul of the Cross Monastery (est. 1854)in the city's South Side Slopes neighborhood. Here are some of the photographs from that visit. It was good to gather together with our archives friends prior to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Take care and enjoy this Third Week of Advent!

12/10/2024

Stained glass from the former Regina Coeli Church, Pittsburgh (North Side).

Regina Coeli was founded as an Italian parish in 1906 on Pittsburgh's North Side. Due to the creation of a nearby industrial park and the further development of Rt. 65/19, the parish suffered a severe population decline and celebrated its last Mass on June 28, 1992. The area is now part of Christ Our Savior Parish, North Side.

Photo by Carmen DiGiacomo, former parishioner and current archives volunteer.

04/08/2024

Partial Eclipse of the A&RC

12/22/2023

As we wind down operations for this calendar year, we want to wish each and every one of you a Blessed and Merry Christmas, and a great start to the New Year.

The Archives & Records Center will be closed from now until early January 2024 when we will resume normal business hours.

Until then, Merry Christmas!

As always may your photos be appropriately labelled, your sacramental registers replete with ample writing space, and all your important documents dated accurately!

Photo: Interior view of St. John the Baptist Church, Monaca, Christmas ca. 1920s (colorized).

09/29/2023

Bishop Paul K. Bradley was named Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Steubenville yesterday, September 28, 2023.

Bishop Bradley was born in McKeesport, PA and previously served as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh (as well as apostolic administrator of the diocese from 2006-2007) and Bishop of Kalamazoo, MI from 2009-2023.

Welcome to Steubenville, Bishop Paul J. Bradley!

08/11/2023

AD MULTOS ANNOS!

Today we celebrate the 180th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Depicted here is the decree from August 11, 1843, establishing the new Western Pennsylvania diocese.

This document, signed at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, dictated that the episcopal 'seat' of the diocese would be Pittsburgh, and that the cathedral would be the already existing Church of St. Paul the Apostle (est. 1834).

Also posted with the decree is a translation of the text, and an image of our first bishop, Bishop Michael O'Connor.

On the establishment of the Diocese of PIttsburgh, Monsignor Andrew Arnold Lambing wrote (in 1880, from a 'History of the Catholic Church in the Dioceses of Pittsburg and Allegheny'):

"From this it will be seen that the Bishop had in the diocese thirty-three churches, a few of which were unfinished; fourteen priests, and a Catholic population of a little less than 25,000. There was also an orphan asylum, affording shelter to about twenty orphans. As yet, there were but two religious communities in the diocese, the Redemptorist Fathers and the Sisters of Charity."

Eventually, the Dioceses of Erie, Altoona, and Greensburg would form from the original territory of the Pittsburgh diocese.

Happy 180th anniversary to the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh!