The Catholic Weekly

{{Short description|Newspaper in Sydney, Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = The Catholic Weekly | logo = | image = | caption = | type = | format = tabloid | owners = | founder = | publisher = | editor = Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney | president = | chief_editor = | associate_editor = | managing_editor = | news_editor = | campus_editor = | campus_chief = | opinion_editor = | photo_editor = | staff_writers = | founded = | political_position = | language = English | ceased_publication = | relaunched = | headquarters = Sydney | circulation = | sister_newspapers = | ISSN = | oclc = | website = {{URL|catholicweekly.com.au/}} | free = }}

'''''The Catholic Weekly''''' is an English language newspaper currently published in Sydney, Australia. It is published in tabloid format. Throughout its history, it has also been published as '''''The Freeman's Journal''''' and '''''Catholic Freeman's Journal'''''.<ref name="cat">{{cite web|title=SLNSW Catalogue|url=http://library.sl.nsw.gov.au/record=b1172548~S2|publisher=State Library of New South Wales|accessdate=12 June 2013}}</ref>

thumb|Front page of ''The Freeman's Journal'' newspaper on 27 June 1850.

==History==

The paper's history can be traced back to 27 June 1850 when it was named ''The Freeman's Journal'', under the influence of editor and later-archdeacon John McEncroe (1794–1868).<ref name=Cath1950>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article146738755 |title=The story of the "Freeman" and the "Press" |newspaper=Catholic Weekly |volume=IX |issue=435 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=29 June 1950 |accessdate=14 June 2019 |page=1 (Centenary supplement) |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Printer and publisher Jeremiah Moore went onto running a successful bookstore. John Francis Blakeney (–1914) was one of its principal editors, commencing as an apprentice in 1867.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111290734 |title=Death of Mr. J. BLAKENEY |newspaper=Freeman's Journal (Sydney) |volume=LXIV |issue=3923 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=26 February 1914 |accessdate=14 June 2019 |page=24 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article111293492 |title=John Blakeney—An appreciation|newspaper=Freeman's Journal (Sydney) |volume=LXIV |issue=3924 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=5 March 1914 |accessdate=14 June 2019 |page=21 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The managing director until 1919 was Mr J. H. de Courcy, having started in the printing section of the paper about 1865.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115583833 |title=The Death of Mr. J. H. De Courcy. |newspaper=Freeman's Journal (Sydney) |volume=LXXI |issue=3664 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=12 June 1919 |accessdate=14 June 2019 |page=21 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Initially based in George Street, Sydney, by May 1886 was moved to Lang Street, and in 1925, to the Hibernian Building, Elizabeth Street.<ref name=Cath1950 />

In 1932 its name changed to ''Catholic Freeman's Journal''. In 1942, the ''Catholic Freeman's Journal'' merged with another Catholic paper, ''The Catholic Press'', and became ''The Catholic Weekly'' which it remains today.<ref name="cat"/>

''The Freeman's Journal'' was a general newspaper with a focus on Catholic and Irish affairs with an Australian outlook. The paper also campaigned for Catholic education in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Catholic Weekly|url=http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/aboutus.php|publisher=The Catholic Weekly|accessdate=12 June 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207031823/http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/aboutus.php|archivedate=7 February 2005|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It often maintained an independent line, not controlled by the clergy.<ref>G. Haines, The Freeman's Journal 1857-1860: criticism within the Catholic Church, ''Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society'' 4 (1) (1972), 80-96.</ref>

==Digitisation==

The various versions of the paper have been digitised as part of the Australian Newspapers Digitisation Program,<ref>{{cite web|title=Newspaper Digitisation Program|url=http://www.nla.gov.au/content/newspaper-digitisation-program|publisher=National Library of Australia|accessdate=12 June 2013|archive-date=2 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702090621/http://www.nla.gov.au/content/newspaper-digitisation-program|url-status=dead}}</ref> a project hosted by the National Library of Australia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trove Digitised Newspapers|url=http://www.nla.gov.au/content/newspaper-digitisation-program|publisher=National Library of Australia|accessdate=12 June 2013|archive-date=2 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702090621/http://www.nla.gov.au/content/newspaper-digitisation-program|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Bibliography==

*''Two hundred years of Sydney newspapers : a short history'', by Victor Isaacs and Rod Kirkpatrick, North Richmond, N.S.W. : Rural Press, 2003. *Looking good : the changing appearance of Australian newspapers / by Victor Isaacs, for the Australian Newspapers History Group, Middle Park, Qld.: Australian Newspaper History Group, 2007. *Press timeline : Select chronology of significant Australian press events to 2011 / Compiled by Rod Kirkpatrick for the Australian Newspaper History Group *Australian Newspaper History : A Bibliography / Compiled by Victor Isaacs, Rod Kirkpatrick and John Russell, Middle Park, Qld. : Australian Newspaper History Group, 2004. *Newspapers in Australian libraries : a union list. 4th ed.

==References==

==External links== *{{Trove newspaper|464|Freeman's Journal|Sydney, NSW : 1850 – 1932}} *[http://www.catholicweekly.com.au www.catholicweekly.com.au]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Catholic Weekly, The}} Category:Newspapers published in Sydney Category:Catholic Church in Australia Category:Catholic newspapers Category:Newspapers on Trove