Below are resources for examining Vatican II and its effects from a Pittsburgh perspective
The Pittsburgh Catholic is the official newspaper of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. It has been published continuously since 1844 and is an important primary source for the history of Roman Catholics in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, as well as an important source for general social history of the area. While the Gumberg Library has the whole run of the paper available on microfilm on the 1st floor, the years 1844 to 1982 have been digitized and can also be read online though the Gumberg Library Digital Collections. Of course, this includes the years of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).This newspaper can be browsed to see how the Second Vatican Council was reported on in the area, learn Pittsburghers' reactions to the Council, trace the local implementation of the Council's decisions, and examine the legacy of the Council in the Pittsburgh area.
Kelly, Thomas I. The Transformation of American Catholicism : The Pittsburgh Laity and the Second Vatican Council, 1950-1972. Notre Dame, IN: Notre Dame UP, 2009. Print. Call Number: BX1417 .P5 K45 2009, 3rd floor Gumberg Library
This book details how the Catholic faith was practiced in Pittsburgh in the decade before Vatican II, and how the Council decisions changed the lives of local Catholic laity.
The Duquesne University Archives is the home of the Cardinal John J. Wright Collection. Cardinal Wright was the Bishop of Pittsburgh from 1959-1969. He was also an American representative to Vatican II. The Wright Collection includes the Cardinal’s addresses, papers, sermons, writings, and personal library, with substantial material from the Second Vatican Council. To access the Wright Collection, contact:
Thomas White, University Archivist and Curator of Special Collections
Phone: 412.396.4870
Email: whitet@duq.edu
Location: 1st Floor, Gumberg Library
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (or by appointment)
St. Peter's Basilica. Photo by Bob Tubbs. Public Domain. Wikimedia Commons
Cardinal Wright's official papers from his time as Bishop of Pittsburgh are available through the:
Click the button above to visit the Atla/CRRA website, home now of the Catholic Portal, the online catalog of rare, unique, and uncommon scholarly Catholic materials in the library collections of the member institutions of the Atla/CRRA program. An ever-growing number of the items listed may contain links to the full text!
An independent organization from its founding in 2008 until 2023, the Atla/CRRA program webpage will also connect you to the Catholic News Archive, and to the program's growing collection of LibGuides to assist users in locating scholarly research materials.
