In 1880, Monsignor Andrew A. Lambing laid the groundwork for the Catholic Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. As the historian of the Pittsburgh Diocese, Msgr. Lambing established the short-lived historical organization called the Ohio Valley Catholic Historical Society, the precursor to the Catholic Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.

The anticipation for the 1943 Pittsburgh Diocesan Centenary was the impetus for a Catholic Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania formation meeting held on May 27, 1943 at St. Vincent’s College, Latrobe Pennsylvania. Present at this first meeting were Rev. Felix Fellner, OSB, Reb Hugh Wilt, OSB, Rev. William J. Purcell, Joseph A. Beck, Paul G. Sullivan, Michael H. Kennedy, Alice T. McGirr and Elizabeth Daflinger. * A general meeting was held in July with 500 persons in attendance. Rev. Paul E. Campbell was elected President

For the next twenty years, this organization remained quite active publishing the 1944 book titled Catholic Pittsburgh’s One Hundred Years, the 1954 reprinting of Msgr. Lambing’s 1885 edition of the Register of Fort Duquesne, and the 1959 pamphlet, From Point to Present. In 1956, the society sponsored the microfilming of the complete Pittsburgh Catholic, the official newspaper of the Pittsburgh Diocese. Exhibits and essay contests were held and in 1950, the Society’s Archives were placed in the Duquesne University Library.

After falling into dormancy in the 1960’s, Fr. Bernard Hrico, working together with Msgr. Francis A. Glenn, resurrected the organization in 1984. With this rebirth, the Society embarked on an Oral History project for the Pittsburgh Diocese and to provide routine speakers on the history of the Catholic Church, specifically in Western Pennsylvania. In 1986, the Society commenced issuing a biennial newsletter, Gathered Fragments. The name for this newsletter was inspired from advice given by Msgr. Andrew A. Lambing in 1880: “Gather up the fragments, lest they be lost” The newsletter provides information on the Society’s activities and articles on the history of the Catholic Church in Western Pennsylvania.

Today, the Catholic Historical Society holds two meetings a year, the Msgr. Andrew A Lambing Lecture, held in April, and the Msgr. Francis A. Glenn Lecture, held in October. Gathered Fragments is published twice a year and the annual Msgr. Francis A Glenn essay contest is held for high school participants. The society continues with its oral history projects and maintains a Speakers Bureau.

*Other founding members, who were unable to attend: Rev. M.P. Boyle, Rev. A.J. Pauley, Rev. Josepah A. Keener, Rev. Joseph A. Nee, Mrs. Mary Giegerich, Rev. John Canova, Paul W. Mahady and Francis Tschan