With the nation’s attention focused on Philadelphia this September for the convening of the World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis’ visit, HSP explores the history of Pennsylvania’s Catholics in the fall 2015 issue of Pennsylvania Legacies.

Articles examine the diversity—and sometimes conflict—within the early Catholic Church, the essential work of Catholic women religious in the 19th century, the organization and activism of African American Catholics at the turn of the 20th century, the important role of Catholic parishes in supporting immigrant communities, and much more.

The fall 2015 issue also includes a Window on the Collection essay discussing the records of St. Peter Claver Church—the first African American Catholic church in Philadelphia—held at HSP.

This issue also features the debut of “Generations,” a new, regular feature on genealogy. For the inaugural column, Christine Friend—Assistant Archivist at the Philadelphia Archdiocesan Historical Research Center, located at St. Charles Seminary—explores the ways family historians may find their Catholic roots in Pennsylvania. 

For educators looking to discuss the role of Catholicism in Pennsylvania, the fall 2015 issue also includes a lesson plan comparing the social and cultural context of the last papal visit to Philadelphia in 1979 and Pope Francis’s much-anticipated visit in 2015. Sam Katz pens the concluding “Food for Thought” essay. Please click here to see the issue’s complete Table of Contents.

Legacies is available as a benefit for Friend of HSP. HSP members receive a printed copy of each issue. Legacies is also available as a separate subscription.