Bishop Benedict J. Fenwick, a Jesuit priest and the second bishop of Boston, founded the newspaper that is now known as The Pilot in September 1829. Bishop Fenwick’s congregation consisted mainly of French and Irish immigrants. During his tenure Bishop Fenwick would see Irish immigration numbers grow. The average number of Irish immigrants to the United States was approximately 5,000 per year between 1821 and 1830. Most settled in New York and Boston.
For many years The Pilot served as an information vehicle for Irish immigants in many place within and outside of the United States. The paper went through various editors and title changes.
William Cardinal O’Connell, an 1881 graduate of Boston College, the second archbishop of Boston and the first native cardinal of Boston, purchased The Pilot in 1908, and it served then as it does now as the official voice of the Archdiocese.
See the box on right for Boston College Libraries holdings on microfilm for The Pilot.
The newspapers listed below are available through America's Historical Newspapers (link provided below). Search for titles by place of publication.
The Exile (New York)—1817
The Shamrock, or, Hibernian chronicle (New York)—1810-1813
The Shamrock (New York)—1814-1817
United States Catholic Miscellany (Charleston, 1822-61)
The Western star, and, harp of Erin (New York)—1812-1813
Boston Pilot (Boston) or The Pilot (Boston) Jan. 2, 1836-Jan. 7, 1837; Jan. 27, 1838-Dec. 26, 1857
O'Neill Microfilm (search by title in the library catalog for later issues).
Boston Pilot online issues 1838 - 1857 (Open Access)
The Pilot online issues Volume 21 no. 1-5, January 2 - 30, 1858 to Volume 28 no. 48-52., December 2 - 30, 1865 (BC community only)
Pilot online 1873-1874 -104 issues (Open Access)
Emerald Isle (Boston) Jan.5, 1837 - Apr.1, 1837
O'Neill Microfilm (included with the Boston Pilot)
The Freeman’s Journal and Catholic Register (New York) 1840-1918
O'Neill Microfilm BX801 .N4
Irish American (New York) Aug. 21,1849-Feb.1915 : [gaps]
O'Neill Microfilm E184.I6 I785
Irish Citizen (New York) October 1867-October 1868
O’Neill Microfilm DA903 .I6
Irish World (Boston, Mass.)
O'Neill Microfilm PN5143 .I78 reel 2349-2350
Irish World and American Industrial Liberator (New York) Feb. 2, 1878 - Dec. 27, 1913
O'Neill Microfilm PN5143 .I78 reels 2350-2380
Merged with Gaelic American; Irish world and American Industrial liberator and the Gaelic American
Gaelic American Oct. 6, 1917 - Jul. 26, 1919
O'Neill Microfilm PN4883.5 .I7574
Literary and Catholic Sentinel (Boston) Jan. 3, 1835-Dec. 26, 1835
O'Neill Microfilm (filmed with the Jesuit or Catholic Sentinel, the Emerald Isle, and the Pilot)
Truth Teller (New York) 1825
O'Neill Microfilm PN5142 .T75
United States Catholic Intelligencer (Boston) October 1,1831-September 31, 1832
O'Neill Microfilm
