FAITH Catholic - Building upon a solid foundation
Last month, I shared that our diocese has been blessed through the years to have the insight, guidance and resources needed to develop not one but two publishing companies whose mission has been to support the liturgical life of the Church (Liturgical Commission Publishing) and to advance the cause of evangelization (Faith Magazine). This has always been remarkable to me because, in many ways, our diocese is a typical Midwestern diocese. We are not a huge archdiocese with hundreds of parishes and a large diocesan structure to support them. Instead, we are comprised of ten counties in mid-Michigan with fewer than 100 parishes. What has set us apart is that the bishops who have served our diocese through the years have been willing to think in innovative ways in order to develop people and resources whose mission is designed to support the People of God—the Church both within and beyond the boundaries of our diocese.
Last month, I shared that our diocese has been blessed through the years to have the insight, guidance and resources needed to develop not one but two publishing companies whose mission has been to support the liturgical life of the Church (Liturgical Commission Publishing) and to advance the cause of evangelization (Faith Magazine). This has always been remarkable to me because, in many ways, our diocese is a typical Midwestern diocese. We are not a huge archdiocese with hundreds of parishes and a large diocesan structure to support them. Instead, we are comprised of ten counties in mid-Michigan with fewer than 100 parishes. What has set us apart is that the bishops who have served our diocese through the years have been willing to think in innovative ways in order to develop people and resources whose mission is designed to support the People of God—the Church both within and beyond the boundaries of our diocese.
In December 2007, Bishop Mengeling, now our bishop emeritus, took the crucial step to unite Liturgical Commission Publishing and Faith Magazine into one company. This step brought together two companies with proven track records in service to the Church. With this step, Bishop Mengeling worked to bring together the leadership and staff of both companies, soon housing them under one roof in an underutilized part of Lansing Catholic High School. This would prove to be a critical and inspired decision by Bishop Mengeling, which would help to set the stage for even more growth and innovation under the single name of FAITH Catholic.
The mission of FAITH Catholic remains true to that of its original component companies. Our goal is to help to connect people with Jesus and with his Church. We do this in a variety of ways that also go far beyond the original products of both companies. We now publish over 60 magazine titles for dioceses and Catholic religious organizations around the United States. Each month, we publish over 1.3-million magazines that are sent to fellow Catholics in homes and parishes around the country, in places like the Dioceses of Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Saginaw and Gaylord. We also publish magazines for the Archdioceses of St. Louis and Hartford, as well as the Dioceses of Cleveland, Austin, Green Bay, Phoenix and Pittsburgh, to name a few.
Our daily and Sunday homilies are used by nearly 10,000 subscribers. We provide a variety of other products that help to support the liturgical life of people and parishes—booklets that welcome and introduce visitors to a Catholic parish, as well as booklets that help to guide Catholics and non-Catholics through a variety of sacramental and liturgical celebrations. We also produce resources that support learners of all ages and differing abilities as they become familiar with a church setting.
Our work of evangelization includes inspirational writings that can be used in parish bulletins or on social media. The company also builds and supports websites for Catholic dioceses, and offers digital versions of many of its printed products, creative design services for both print and electronic publishing, and a variety of resources to assist dioceses and parishes to more effectively communicate the message of Jesus.
All of this is the result of the talented work of a staff of over 30 dedicated professionals whose competencies include writing, graphic design, effective and inspiring communication, technology and web design, financial and print management, marketing and sales, and so much more. We are currently led by Kayla Simon, our president and CEO. We build upon a legacy left to us by so many who have been inspired by the Holy Spirit to develop and to do the work we do. Bishops Zaleski, Povish and Mengeling helped to set the foundation of our work in place, and Bishop Boyea remains an avid supporter of our mission.
In the end, however, none of this would have been possible without the prayers and support of so many people from around the Diocese of Lansing—people of good and holy faith, who, throughout these years, have been partners and supporters of our work. On behalf of all of us at FAITH Catholic, I offer deepest thanks and appreciation for what has preceded, and I ask for your prayers for what is still to come, as our journey in FAITH continues.
FATHER DWIGHT EZOP is the editor-in-chief of FAITH Magazine and pastor of St. Mary Parish, Charlotte and St. Ann Church, Bellevue.
