“Human and Christian life calls for growth. Such growth comes through prayer, reflection, and study. There is a need for all of us, including myself, to recognize this priority in our lives today. As a Pilgrim People of God who constitute the Church today, let us keep on searching for ways in which all of us are able to respond to the challenge of growth in prayer and knowledge. Such growth brings life; without it, we stagnate.”
Welcome to the Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Archive.
Archbishop Murphy was a prolific writer throughout his life. He appreciated and understood the power of quality communication. The archbishop possessed a unique ability to convey the key principles of the Catholic Church and the core foundations of his ministry in a meaningful way – a way that priests, religious men and women, and lay people can absorb and understand.
The documents in the Online Archive cover three time periods:
- 1972 to 1978 – His ministry in Chicago as a priest and as Rector of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary
- 1978 to 1987 – Bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, MT
- 1987 to 1997 – Archbishop of Seattle
There are a total of 1,181 documents in the Online Archive. They break down into the following categories:
- 583 columns
- 351 homilies
- 159 addresses
- 71 miscellaneous documents
- 17 newspaper articles
The entire staff of Archbishop Murphy High School and the Murphy family hope that you find inspiration and meaning in this collection of documents. They were written by a man who truly loved the church and saw it as a foundation to make a difference in the lives of people of all walks of life.
We would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, MT and the Archdiocese of Seattle. The development of this treasure trove of documents would not have been possible without their assistance and guidance.
The Online Archive has multiple search capabilities. The user can search by date, publication and keyword. See the directions below to fully utilize the archive’s capabilities.
- To search by date: Click the white arrows in the date column and the table will automatically sort by date. If you are looking for a specific date you can type the date into the search bar above.
- To search by keyword: A series of keywords is listed for each document. These keywords will help the user search for a particular topic. Use the keywords as a guideline to see the types of topics Archbishop Murphy wrote on.
- To search by publication: To search by publication use the white arrows or begin typing the publication name into the search bar.
How do I open the archives?
Click here to access it.
Why does the PDF look this way?
Depending on the browser and screen size the document will have a slightly different magnification. The magnification of each document is dependent on the browser type. If you are having trouble viewing the document in it current magnification, downloading the document will allow you to manipulate the magnification.
How can I print the documents?
Once you have opened the document you can click to download the PDF. Once itis downloaded, you can print the document from your computer.
Can I open multiple documents at once?
Yes you can open multiple documents at once by opening each document in a new tab or window and than keeping the archives open on its own tab/window. This will enable you to open multiple documents at once.
Do I have permission to reproduce the documents?
All resources contained in this archive (all documents, videos, photographs, etc.) are the property of one or more of the following entities: Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy High School, the Archdiocese of Seattle, the Diocese of Great Falls, Montana, and the family/estate of Thomas J. Murphy. Reproduction or uncited/uncredited use of the resources contained in this archive without approval of the appropriate entity is prohibited.
How do I download the documents?
From a PC, the document will automatically be dropped into the download box on your computer. Open the downloads folder and you will see the document you are looking for.
From a mac, press control and click on the document, a box will pop up with various options (save the PDF, download the PDF, etc).
Have a question about the archives?
Email archives@am-hs.org
