It aims to promote a deeper and more widespread knowledge of the history of the Catholic Church and the advancement of historical scholarship.
The ACHA has always enjoyed the support of Catholic universities, colleges, and seminaries and has endeavored, in turn, to make itself especially helpful to their teachers and students.
It welcomes non-Catholics among its members and has elected many of them to its committees, its executive council, and even its presidency.
The ACHA adopted as its official organ The Catholic Historical Review, which had been appearing quarterly since April 1915.
The ACHA is the recognized Catholic voice in the historical profession in the United States.