Ten years ago this month, the diocesan newspaper – Catholic Universe Bulletin – ceased publication after 141 years of service. Those interested in reading the newspaper or conducting research, could do so by contacting the Diocese of Cleveland Archives, but the newspapers were not available online for the public until now.
Emily Ahlin, diocesan archivist, said a nearly three-year project to digitize the earliest issues of the newspaper and to make them available to the public, just concluded its first phase. There is no charge or paywall – all issues can be viewed for free. It is one of the oldest Catholic publications available online. The first phase of the digitization process includes 1,489 issues of the newspaper, consisting of 12,263 pages of content.
“The first 28 years of the Universe Bulletin are available online and are keyword searchable,” she said. The archives worked with a vendor to ensure all of the newspapers were scanned and can be searched by anyone with access to a computer and the internet.
Those interested in looking at the early issues of the Universe Bulletin can click here. The newspaper is among the publications available on thecatholicnewsarchive.org. Those searching the digital archive can search by year, month and issue date. Hover over a story to open it on the left side of the page or click on the story and enlarge it to read it on the scanned page.
The newspaper, originally called The Catholic Universe, published its first issue on July 4, 1874, just 27 years after the diocese was established. It included news from the diocese, which covered Northern Ohio – the dioceses of Toledo (established in 1910), Youngstown (1943) and Steubenville (1944) did not exist yet – as well as local, national and international news and useful information like train schedules.
There was an anti-Catholic sentiment growing in the late 1800s. Bishop Richard Gilmour, the second diocesan bishop, met with priests and diocesan leaders in May 1874 to discuss beginning a diocesan newspaper. The consensus was such a publication was needed “to disseminate good reading amongst the people and, by a bold and fearless discussion of the current events of the day, religious, political, and social, to place the rights and wants of Catholics prominently before the public.”
After agreeing to launch the publication, an appeal was made in parishes throughout the diocese for support.
The Universe Bulletin began publishing weekly on Saturdays beginning with the July 4, 1874 issue. In October 1877 it switched to a Thursday publication. For several months in 1892, the newspaper was published on Saturday again before shifting to a Friday publication.
Ahlin said her office fields calls from the diocese and beyond from people seeking information about people and events that were featured in the diocesan newspaper. This new development will enable them to conduct their own searches, as well as to enjoy looking through old copies of the diocesan newspaper.
She said work is continuing to scan and provide access to additional copies of the newspaper, which became the Catholic Universe Bulletin in May 1926. The name change occurred when The Catholic Universe and The Catholic Bulletin, a small publication established in 1911 to serve a group of German parishes in the diocese, merged. It retained that name until the final issue was published on July 3, 2015. The newspaper was replaced by Northeast Ohio Catholic magazine, the largest diocesan magazine in the country, that is mailed to nearly 230,000 people six times per year. All issues are archived online.
Ahlin said her office also is adding information the public might be interested in reading on the internet archive digital collection tab. Nearly three dozen items have been scanned and uploaded, including a highlight reel (black and white video only) of the 1935 Eucharistic Congress in Cleveland, selected parish anniversary books, some publications from nationality parishes, The Service Men Gazette published by St. Rocco Parish in Cleveland during World War II, Bishop Anthony Pilla’s book, “Live on in my Love,” and “People of Faith,” the popular parish history book published for the 150th anniversary of the diocese.
Additional copies of The Universe Bulletin will be added to the online archive, Ahlin said, with the next batch expected this fall.