This is a difficult column to write.
For more than 112 years, Our Sunday Visitor newspaper has printed and distributed an issue every week, including over the Christmas holidays and during summer breaks. I was blessed to serve as its editor for several of those more recent years, and the challenge of putting together a thought-provoking and interesting issue that formed, informed and inspired each week was unlike anything I’d done before. It was an opportunity to look at what was happening in the Church through a Catholic perspective, helping to bring clarity and understanding to our readers on issues that too often, even within the Church, are hijacked by ideology and agenda. This has always been the mission of Our Sunday Visitor — a mission that began with the vision of our founder, Archbishop John Francis Noll, and continued after his death, no matter the editors that have come and gone.
But after this issue goes to press, the weekly newspaper known over the years as “The Harmonizer” and “OSV Newsweekly” will cease to be. It is, indeed, the end of an era. It is the closing of a chapter that included in its coverage two world wars, the Second Vatican Council, the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, the domestic terror of 9/11 and the arrival of the internet. It’s the closing of a chapter, yes — but it is not the end of the book.
A new era
With the final printing of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper comes the inaugural printing of Our Sunday Visitor magazine, a gorgeous, inspiring publication that will offer readers a welcome, faithful respite from the incessant daily noise that too often defines our lives in the early 21st century. The publication opens up space for a retreat-like experience in our own homes, allowing us to connect with the Gospel and grow in our faith in an enjoyable way. If you received this newspaper in the mail, the October issue of the magazine was served right along with it, and I hope you love it.
There’s no doubt that the content in Our Sunday Visitor magazine, what we are calling a lifestyle magazine, will be quite different from that which was traditionally found in this Our Sunday Visitor newspaper. But that doesn’t mean we are abandoning our founder’s mission of using the Catholic press to provide a Catholic perspective on the issues and happenings that matter in the Church and in the world. I would argue that this mission is more important than ever, and my role right now, as editor-in-chief of OSV News, is dedicated to fulfilling it. The OSV News wire service takes Archbishop Noll’s vision to the next level — building upon his critical mission of forming and informing Catholics and expanding our scope and reach far beyond what one newspaper was capable of achieving alone. Our content now appears in more than 100 media outlets across the U.S. and the world.
The team of excellent, experienced editors at OSV News are dedicated to providing consistent, high-quality Catholic journalism that keeps readers informed about what’s happening in the Catholic Church and the world, and why it matters. We’re faithful to the magisterium and on mission to spread the Gospel. Every day, we contribute to one of the world’s largest Catholic content collections, including breaking news, in-depth analysis, inspirational stories, formational content and social and digital assets. We pray with and for one another daily, and for all who read our content, through the intercession of our patron, St. Titus Brandsma.
So if you find yourself missing the “news” part of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper, know that it is not gone. It has simply changed to meet the change in reader behavior and content consumption in our digital age. In order to access OSV News content, the first thing we recommend is to subscribe to your local diocesan newspaper or magazine, newsletter and social media. If they don’t subscribe to OSV News, ask them to! You can also follow the news on OSVNews.com, through emails from our team to your inbox (you can sign up via the website) and via our social media. We have a lot planned as we continue to grow, so come be a part of it!
Thank you
The fathers of the Second Vatican Council wrote how the reporting of news provides Catholics with a fuller understanding of what is happening in the Church and the world, allowing “all (to) contribute more effectively to the common good and more readily promote and advance the welfare of the entire civil society” (Inter Mirifica, No. 5). This is no small task, but OSV News is up to it.
So while things are changing at OSV, our mission has only been strengthened: to champion the Church that we love by providing the best Catholic content in the world to the best people in the world — you, our beloved readers — in print and online. Thank you for your dedication and support.
