America's Largest Catholic Newspaper
Here we are on the doorstep of February, which is Catholic Press Month. It’s a good time to pause and think about what the Catholic press does and why it is important, perhaps more than ever.
I came up with a list of reasons why Catholics ought to support their press, including doing what you are doing right now: reading it. First, an observation: The word “press,” although it’s traditional and I like using it, obviously does not cover everything that Catholic media outlets do. In a world where communication is instantaneous and even the pope is on Twitter, the Catholic “press”obviously has expanded into the full range of digital media. Using the Catholic press can mean pulling the diocesan newspaper out of the mailbox, reading it on a computer or mobile device, or following blogs, web feeds and more. And of course there is Catholic broadcasting on television and radio. But changes in technology don’t affect the Catholic media mission. Here are some reasons why it’s important:
1. The Catholic press presents news from a Catholic point of view. That’s important whether the news is good or bad. The Catholic press can present and analyze the facts of any story in the light of Catholic teaching and practice in a way that the secular press cannot.
2. By presenting international Church news, the Catholic press reminds us that we also are catholic with a small “c”—that is, universal. We share a true spiritual connection to more than 1 billion other Catholics who worship in many languages and styles. It’s good to remember that as varied as we are, we are one in Christ and one in faith.
3. The Catholic press keeps us informed about the pope: his writings, his travels, his messages to Catholics and to all people—“Urbi et Orbi,” or “to the city [of Rome] and the world.” As a successor of St. Peter, the pope is a sign of our unity as Catholics. He is also our teacher. What he says and writes is important, and we learn about it in far more detail from Catholic media because that is part of their job.
4. We learn about our faith from the Catholic press, and that helps us to grow in our faith and to put it into action. We can turn to articles on faith and spirituality, on the meaning of the seasons of Lent and Advent, on the significance of the great feasts, on Church teaching as it applies to current events. We can draw inspiration and motivation from articles about lay Catholics who live out their faith on the job or through volunteer work.
5. In the Church, as in the world, the future depends on today’s children. They need to be educated and prepared for the responsibilities they will inherit. Catholic schools and parish religious education programs carry out that essential work. The Catholic press publicizes it and encourages young people to get involved in the Church by publishing stories about their activities.
6. The Catholic press provides bishops who lead dioceses with a platform for keeping in touch with their people, and gives people the opportunity to get to know their bishop through his statements and columns. Whether or not the faithful and their bishops always agree, it’s good for them to know more about each other.
7. The Catholic press promotes vocations to the priesthood and the religious life, and presents the true meaning of marriage and family life.
8. The obituary pages pay tribute to Catholics famous and not who have made a difference in the lives of so many. I think especially of the nuns and brothers who educated thousands of Catholics, including me. They are not forgotten.
Next time you read a Catholic newspaper or magazine, please think about the information you’re getting that you won’t find anywhere else. Then renew your subscription, or give one as a gift. We need you, but you need us, too. And we thank you for taking part in our mission.
