Embedded Files
What do they say?
What do they say?
Two religious-themed pamphlets from the "Radio Replies" American program. Burns Library. (2).
These pamphlets are just a selected few of hundreds housed at Burns Library as part of the Liturgy & Life Collection. The pamphlets are organized into over 100 different categories spanning nearly every topic imaginable in the twentieth century (1). There are the topics to be expected: information on mass, saints, and Catholic practice. There are also some more unexpected ones, such as informational pamphlets on other world religions, foreign countries, and political movements like Nazism. The spectrum of topics is incredible, as can be seen in the two photos which frame this page (2). On the left, there is a simplified and accessible story about the Virgin Mary, while on the right there is an analysis of Communism and its threat in the Western world. The audience for these two pamphlets are clearly disparate, and signals something greater. From the topics covered here, also spanning birth control, confession and penance, and actual New Testament scripture, it is clear that the Catholic community in America in the twentieth century looked to the church not only as a spiritual guide but as a navigator for all aspects of life.
A critical thing to note about these pamphlets is that they were manufactured to be easy and quick to read, then circulated to as many people as possible. Some of the questions, as featured in the pink "Why?" pamphlet below, were sent in by the community and subsequently answered, presumably by someone in the clergy. The pamphlets even include instructions on the back to pass the paper on after one concludes reading and reflecting on the information provided.
Two non-religion-themed pamphlets from the "Radio Replies" American program. Burns Library. (2).
"The piquant and provocative subject matter of this book makes it a fascinating assembly of 300 or more worth-while pamphlet tracts, a dictionary of doctrine for the desk of the FAMILY, the STUDENT, the SHOP HAND, the OFFICE WORKER, the ATTORNEY, the DOCTOR, the TEACHER, and the PREACHER."
"The piquant and provocative subject matter of this book makes it a fascinating assembly of 300 or more worth-while pamphlet tracts, a dictionary of doctrine for the desk of the FAMILY, the STUDENT, the SHOP HAND, the OFFICE WORKER, the ATTORNEY, the DOCTOR, the TEACHER, and the PREACHER."
Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty, in "Catholic Apologetics in Question & Answer Form: INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN EDITION OF 'RADIO REPLIES'" on the "Radio Replies" website. (3)
"Why?" pamphlet from "Radio Replies" c. 1950s. Burns Library. (4).
What can we learn?
What can we learn?
The pamphlets featured here are the American venture of Australian Catholic Rev. Dr. Rumble, M.S.C., who ran a popular radio show, "Radio Replies" and authored books by the same title throughout his career. On the current website for "Radio Replies," they provide information about the show, books, and American pamphlets. In one article, Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty testifies that in the 1940's and 50's, shipping books from Sydney to the United States was far too costly, and so the author rewrote the book in the format shown here, so that far more could be sent to the United States for a lower cost (5). Carty also cites "the author's genius for brevity, preciseness, fearlessness and keen logic that avoids the usually long Scriptural and Traditional arguments of the average question and answer book" as a primary factor in the program's success in the United States (6).
This indicates a few things about American faith during the years just before Vatican II. Most clearly, the success of this endeavor shows the piety of Americans at this time, and Carty is proud to cite instances where the literature from "Radio Replies" converted people to Catholicism (7). The Catholic church was understood to be a cultural authority that could be trusted to answer their questions, and these highly-circulable items were featuring topics that Americans, especially young Americans, were actually interested in reading.
After Vatican II, the emphasis was shifted back to the original text of the Bible, rather than interpretations such as these. The collection of these pamphlets, especially considering the immense range of topics covered by the pamphlets at Burns*, has endless research value. In studying "Radio Replies," the most important issues for American Catholics of this time period can be ascertained, as well as a brief on the perspective the Church took on such issues.
*Note: the "Radio Replies" series is only one of many different companies and organizations which manufactured and distributed pamphlets that now are part of the Burns Library Liturgy & Life collection.
Pamphlets in Liturgy & Life are sorted as follows:
Pamphlets in Liturgy & Life are sorted as follows:
Advent
African Americans
Alcoholism, temperance, and drugs
Angels
Apologetics
Art and architecture
Atheism
Benediction
Benediction: general
Benediction: Holy Hour
Biography
Birth control
Books and reading
Buddhism
Catechism
Catholic Action
Catholic Hour
Christian denominations
general
Catholic-Protestant relations
Anglicans
Christian Science, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses
Eastern Christians
various Christian faith
Christmas
Church and state
Church buildings and shrines
Communism
Conversions
Death and dying
Divorce
Doctrine
Easter
Education
Euthanasia
Evolution
Family life
general
father and husband
mother and wife
Foreign language journals / devotions
Forty Hours
Fraternal and religious organizations
various organizations
Holy Name Society
Knights of Columbus
Legion of Mary
Free Masons
Funeral and wakes
general
liturgies
God the Father
Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory
History
Holy Family
Holy Spirit
Holy Week
Holy Years
Indulgences
Infant Jesus of Prague
Ireland
Islam and Eastern religions
Jesus Christ
Holy Face and Shroud of Turin
Holy Name
Holy Wounds
Passion
Precious Blood
Sacred Heart
Stations of the Cross
Three Hours Agony and Seven Last Words
miscellaneous prayers and devotions
Judaism
Labor
Laity
Lent
Liturgical Year
Liturgy and liturgical movement
Marriage
married life
mixed marriages
Mary
Fatima
Immaculate Conception
Lourdes
Miraculous medal
miscellaneous apparitions and miracles
novenas and prayers
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Mass
Mass media
Medical ethics and profession
Mexico
Minor rites and rituals
Missals
Missals and Mass books
Missions
Morals
Music
Native Americans
Nazism
Nuns
Occult
Papal statements
anthologies
John XXIII
John Paul I
John Paul II
Leo XIII
Paul VI
Pius X
Pius XI
Pius XII
Parish life
Pastoral statements
general
Boston clergy
Popes
Prayer and spirituality
Priests
Psychiatry and psychology
Religious orders
various orders
Benedictines
Carmelites
Dominicans
Franciscans
Jesuits
Maryknollers
Redemptorists
Society of the Divine Word
Trappists and Reformed Cistercians
Retreats
Rosary
Rural life
Sacramental
Sacraments: general
Baptism
Communion
Communion (first)
Communion (youth)
Confession and penance
Confirmation
Extreme unction and anointing of the sick
Holy Orders
Matrimony
Saints
general literature
A through Z
Ann or Anne
Anthony of Padua
Dymphna
Francis
Assisi
de Sales
Xavier
Rome
Ignatius
Joseph, Jude
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Therese de Lisieux
Salvation theology
Satan
Scapulars
Science and religion
Scripture
Old Testament
New Testament
general
Self-help and inspiration
Sex education
Sexual morality
Sin and mercy
Social reform
Socialism
Soul
Spanish Civil War
Spanish Inquisition
Spirituality
Theological virtues
Theology of Grace
Trinity
Vatican II
Vocation
general
female
male
War and peace
Why?
Women and the Church
Youth
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