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The
ministry of The Catholic Moment
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
February is Catholic Press Month. During February, pastors ask
parishioners to contribute to the cost of delivering the Catholic paper,
The Catholic Moment, to each household in their parish. The
announcement takes various forms. I’ve noted it is not unusual for a
pastor, in urging people to support the mission of the paper, to use
these or similar words: “Last year the paper cost our parish xxxx
dollars. Parishioners contributed xxxx dollars. The balance had to be
taken from parish operating funds and cost us xxxx dollars.” In other
words, please pay up or the parish will have to bear the weight of the
expense involved.
What goes with all this? It’s been explained many times, but I suspect
some are still puzzled about why they receive The Catholic Moment
(without asking for it) or assume that getting The Catholic Moment
is a freebie that comes from being a member of their parish. Hopefully I
can shed light.
The Catholic Moment is a ministry of our Local Church supported
by its parishes. In addition to serving Catholics fully engaged in the
life of the Church, it provides outreach to marginalized and lapsed
Catholics, as well as those who do not identify themselves as Catholics.
It is a ministry of catechesis and evangelization.
It is no secret that there are Catholics who do not understand the
fundamentals of Catholicism. They absent themselves from the Holy
Sacrifice of the Mass without awareness that participation in Mass is a
basic responsibility. Their involvement in the Church is marginal.
Delivery of The Catholic Moment continuously reminds those who
receive it of the importance of coming to Mass each week. Its very
arrival in the mail box is a reminder to folks that they are part of
something significant: “the Church.” It tells them that they are wanted,
not forgotten, important to the faith community to which they have been
bonded by baptism and confirmation.
The paper is also outreach to those who are not Catholic. More than half
the marriages that take place in our Local Church are marriages of mixed
religion. It is hoped that those who are not Catholic, but who have a
Catholic spouse, will at least from time to time take note of The
Catholic Moment and be moved by its basic message of invitation.
The Catholic Moment is also a vehicle that I use to fulfill my
role as teacher, as well as a vital means of communication for the
Church faith community spread across 9,832 square miles of Northcentral
Indiana.
The Catholic Moment is not a newspaper in the normal sense of
that term. It provides no pretense of providing “hard news.” People
naturally look to other media for events of the day. What The
Catholic Moment does is provide something that isn’t found elsewhere
or is found only rarely. It is the perspective of the Church. In other
words, The Catholic Moment exists for reasons very different from
those that drive the for-profit print industry. It is a ministry of
catechesis and evangelization.
As a ministry, there is a commitment to full-coverage, that is, by
policy, the paper is supposed to be sent to every Catholic household in
Northcentral Indiana. Pastors have pledged that they will support this
ministry. It has been understood from the beginning, however, that
parishioners would be invited each year to contribute to the cost of
publication and delivery.
It costs $20 per year to deliver The Catholic Moment to a
household. The paper is published 47 times a year. That factors out to a
cost of 43 cents per week, not bad when you consider that a first-class
stamp is 41 cents. The minimal cost is even more amazing when one takes
into account the fact that the paper was hit by a 20 percent postal rate
increase in mid-2007. Nonetheless, the delivery rate remains $20 per
year. That has been achieved by going to a lighter weight paper,
changing the company that prints the paper, and trucking papers from
where they are printed to a mailing center in Lafayette. Noticeable
improvements have resulted: There now is more access to color printing
on more pages, and earlier delivery. Most readers now receive their
paper on Thursday rather than Friday, which make stories more current
and allows for better publicity of many weekend events taking place in
our parishes.
I believe the evangelization and catechetical mission of The Catholic
Moment was strengthened during 2007. A Kids’ Page was added in
February of last year. The intent is to reach out to children in a fun,
colorful, educational way. This full-color package appears on the last
page of The Catholic Moment. It includes the life of a saint, a
Catholic puzzle, word searches, information about feast days, Bible
readings, mazes and “did you know” questions on Catholic subjects.
There are now more guest editorials. A call was put out for parishioners
across our Local Church who might be interested in writing guest
editorials. More than 25 people responded. “Regulars” include a
stay-at-home mom, a prison inmate, two priests, a woman religious,
retirees and a college professor. This has added variety and vitality to
the editorial page.
Another innovation from 2007 is parish profiles. These profiles feature
stories about individual parishes, with color photos, spread over two
pages. Each one examines the history of the parish, what makes it
distinctive, and introduces readers to the pastor, parishioners and
programs. This series is designed to connect the people with the
diocese, foster a sense of community, and provide a historical record
that will be of value for years to come.
Last year, the paper also began a weekly “Looking Back” column. Stories
that appeared in The Catholic Moment or its predecessor, the Lafayette
edition of Our Sunday Visitor, 50 years ago, 25 years ago, 10 years as
well as 5 years ago are highlighted. Items appeal to many readers who
remember the original events. They also give everyone a better feel for
the history of our Local Church and its people.
When you don’t “order” something, it is natural to assume that it’s
free. The reality is that parishes are committed to providing full
coverage to their parishioners because it is an important ministry of
catechesis and evangelization.
It is hoped parishioners will support this ministry by a positive
response to the annual February pulpit appeal for The Catholic Moment.
Most parishes provide a special envelope for the support of The
Catholic Moment. In addition, an envelope is enclosed in this issue
of the paper. You can also put your donation in an envelope and send it
to the parish office or drop it in the Offertory collection. And, the
hope is that you will consider a donation that will not only cover the
delivery of The Catholic Moment to your home, but to others as
well, specifically to those who are somewhat marginal when it comes to
their participation in the life of the Church. Basically a burden
parishes have taken upon themselves, the more donations received the
less that burden will be.
Consider your gift as an investment in the spiritual welfare of your
neighbor as well as your own family. |
