Friends in the Field - Zoë Rowmanowsky

The Newshounds of Heaven
The Good News is in print, over the airwaves and knocking on your door.

Mo' good stuff from Motown
Credo

A new independent newspaper called Credo is dishing up something a little different for Catholics in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The two-year-old paper wants to "make more and better Catholics" by reporting on current events in light of Catholic teaching. "We try to show that Christ is Lord over all aspects of life -- whether it's how to interpret the AIDS pandemic, how to make marriage last, how to understand foreign policy, pop culture, movies, books and so on," says Al Kresta, executive editor of Credo.

Under Kresta's leadership, Credo (Latin for "I believe") has recently stepped up from a 20-page to a 32-page format. It is now produced twice a month, and Kresta has hopes it will eventually become a weekly publication. The paper has a current print run of 27,000. Approximately 1,600 copies are rushed to local churches, supermarket chains and bookstores; the rest are mailed out to readers on Credo's mailing list.

The paper covers world, national and local news, news from the Vatican, arts and entertainment, a local calendar of events, a liturgy and devotion section, sports, personalities -- there's even a section called "Bad News," which notes attacks on the Christian faith. Credo's cover stories have reported on divorce and annulments, pornography, Christian persecution and euthanasia, to name a few.

Through its engaging content and attractive layout, Kresta wants Credo to "reach beyond the core group of committed local Catholics." Supported by advertising, donations, benefactors and a grant from the Domino's Foundation, Credo is given away free to the public. "We are primarily targeting under-catechized Catholics who may not be interested in the doctrinal and ethical side of the debate. These people are not into buying Catholic periodicals or books," explains Kresta. "Most of them attend church, and may have a strong sense of community -- of belonging -- but they don't spend too much time thinking about behavior and belief."

According to Kresta, Credo is "still at a visionary stage," and some of its production kinks are still being worked out. Staff changes and reorganization have kept the office exceptionally busy over the past six months.

Al Kresta himself, who became Catholic in 1992 (the account of his moving conversion is found in Surprised by Truth, Basilica Press 1994), is relatively new to his post. His background in radio, as well as in bookstore management, won him the invitation in January 1997 to redesign Credo and manage WDEO, a Catholic radio station that shares office space with Credo. Kresta hosts a two-hour live talk show on WDEO called Al Kresta Live. Kresta often uses the radio program to raise questions on the topics Credo journalists are working on. The print/radio combination is a dream come true for Kresta.

"I've wanted to link electronic communication with print media for a long time," he says. "You get more mileage and can have a greater effect." And what effect is Kresta looking for? "We want people to look at our paper and say 'Hmm, I haven't thought of that before.' We want to elicit some type of emotional reaction from people because I'm convinced that emotion and reason are very closely linked," says Kresta. "We pay most attention when something hooks us emotionally."

It's this style and vision that sets Credo apart from many Catholic papers, especially diocesan publications. Diocesan papers typically focus on Church-related matters and operate as public relations tools. While Kresta has praises for the way some Catholic papers do this, he relishes the fact that Credo doesn't have to "play it so safe." Even so, Kresta says Credo is intended to serve the local Church, and the editors enjoy a great relationship with Bishop Carl Mengleng, shepherd of Credo's home diocese of Lansing, Michigan. "The diocese of Lansing has its own newspaper, but there are different ways to serve," explains Kresta. "We want to serve our bishop and diocese by focusing on investigative journalism."

For more information, or to receive a free subscription, contact Credo, P.O. Box 504, Ann Arbor, MI, 48106-0504, 313-930-3100, fax: 313-930-3179, e-mail: credo@rc.net.


God's bookmakers
Ignatius Press

Frank Sheed, the renowned Catholic apologist and publisher, told him to do it. "But expect 10 years of grief," Sheed warned. Undaunted, the publisher wanna-be, Jesuit priest Fr. Joseph Fessio, took Sheed's advice and founded Ignatius Press in 1978. The San Francisco-based Catholic publishing house is now the largest of its kind in North America.

The inspiration for Ignatius Press came from Fr. Fessio's theological training in Europe. In 1969, he became a student and friend of the great theologian Fr. Henri de Lubac at the Jesuit School of Theology in Fourviere, France. At Fr. de Lubac's suggestion, Fr. Fessio began doctrinal studies on the work of Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar in Germany under the direction of Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, now Cardinal Ratzinger and head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "When I came back to the States," explained Fessio, "it was clear we didn't have theologians of that caliber here, and it was important to make their work available to English-speaking readers."

Surprisingly enough, this ambitious task of building a publishing company from sales of little-known theological works took off. Though they began with only two scholarly works per year, they now boast nearly 50 titles per year -- everything from popular fiction to spirituality, from first-rate theological works to children's books that include two catechetical series for grade schoolers. A humble start has grown to a humbling gross revenue of $8 million and counting.

They attribute their success to the orthodoxy and quality of their products. Not only are their materials solidly Catholic, they're beautifully made -- their books are handsewn, using only the finest quality paper. Their publishing philosophy has worked: Bring back Catholic classics and publish titles destined to become classics. Ignatius Press' catalog carries works by such notables as G.K. Chesterton, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Cardinal John Henry Newman, Adrienne von Spyer and Msgr. Ronald Knox.

Their best-selling books include The Aids Coverup by Gene Antonio, the famous The Ratzinger Report, Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Michael O'Brien's Father Elijah, Peter Kreeft's Back to Virtue, and the photographic life of Mother Teresa and her sisters, Works of Love Are Works of Peace.

Ignatius Press does well in audio and video sales, too. This year, they'll sell approximately 85,000 video tapes and more than $150,000 in books on tape.

The publishing house is also responsible for four popular Catholic magazines. Catholic World Report (CWR), their flagship publication, has a circulation of 16,000. Edited by Philip Lawler in Dedham, MA, CWR is best known for its coverage of Church affairs and world news. Ignatius Press also oversees Homiletic & Pastoral Review, edited by Fr. Kenneth Baker, as well as Catholic Dossier, edited by Dr. Ralph McInerny, and Catholic Faith, edited by Fr. John Hardon.

And if all that doesn't keep the 14-member staff of Ignatius Press busy enough, upcoming projects promise to do so. In the works are a major Catholic Study Bible with Dr. Scott Hahn as head of the editorial committee, an apologetics library, more inspiring Catholic fiction, films on the saints, and a beautiful English/Latin hymnal, The Adoremus Hymnal, due out this fall.

None of these efforts could happen without the talented and dedicated staff who work with Fr. Fessio. "The diverse group of loyal Catholics I work with have been the greatest blessings of my priestly life," says Fessio. The staff pray together, share common meals during the week and attend daily Mass together when possible.

Ignatius Press is more interested in fostering faith and family life than in building a publishing empire, so it works with numerous independent contractors, especially Catholic families who want to start their own businesses.

"Parents want to be at home with their kids and this is a way we can help them do it," says Fessio. One Catholic family distributes books from their family warehouse, another family handles typesetting, and still another answers Ignatius Press' 800 service from their home in North Dakota.

Ignatius Press also collaborates with other apostolates such as St. Joseph Communications, with whom it sponsors Catholic Family Conferences, and Bethlehem Books, which produces a line of children's books distributed by Ignatius Press.

The proof that Ignatius Press is a work of grace is in the fruit. As he travels, Fessio receives countless thank-yous for the work of Ignatius Press. "Many people have become Catholics partly because of our work." When Jeff Cavins, now EWTN's Life on the Rock host, was looking for liturgical materials, two Ignatius Press books helped bring him back to the Church: the monumental Evangelical Is Not Enough by Thomas Howard, and Scott and Kimberly Hahn's Rome Sweet Home. "If we did nothing else but help bring this man back to the Church, that would be enough," says Fessio.

Ignatius Press currently receives close to 600 manuscripts a year. The staff discusses what to publish, but Fessio has the final word. "I love books, and everyone who loves books has a right to an opinion," he jokes.

The self-proclaimed "godfather" of Ignatius Press is happy to see new kids on the Catholic publishing block, but he expects Ignatius Press to remain a major player in restoring Catholic culture for years to come.

For information about Ignatius Press books, videos and magazines, call 800-651-1531 or fax 800-278-3566. Their Web address is www.ignatius.com.


Heaven's knock, knock, knockin' on your door
Youth for the Third Millennium

"Knock and it shall be opened unto you." Christ's gospel promise is proving literally true for hundreds of young Catholic missionaries across the country. Since 1995, Youth for the Third Millennium (YTM), an international group based in Washington DC, has been training teenagers and young adults to help others find Christ through door-to-door visits and parish-based activities.

Since the late 1980s, sister groups of YTM in other countries have been promoting youth missions. But it was Pope John Paul II's words at the 1993 World Youth Day in Denver that inspired the formation of YTM in the United States. "Go out on the streets and into public places, like the first apostles who preached Christ," the Pope told his young audience. Lay people associated with the international lay movement Regnum Christi decided to take the Holy Father's call seriously.

"We were looking for a practical way to help young people put their faith into action on a grass-roots level," explains Paul Bernetsky, YTM's dynamic executive director. With the agreement of local pastors and bishops, YTM assists in parish missions and training programs. They lead missionary teams door-to-door to reach the unchurched, the "occasional Catholic," and the estranged Catholic. They bring help, answer questions and invite people back to the parish.

Under Bernetsky's leadership, the missionaries minister to non-Catholics, too. During a Boston mission, a Baptist woman was moved to tears when the three young Catholic men at her door offered to pray for her sick niece. "The woman got her niece on the phone, and the missionaries prayed right there and then," says Bernetsky.

Countless stories can be told of YTM's door-to-door successes. One team of young women, discouraged by all the closed doors they received one day, reluctantly decided to visit one final home. Inside they found a shut-in whom they were able to reunite with the local parish so she could receive the sacraments again. Another time, a 17-year-old missionary helped someone through an Act of Contrition. "The person had been away from the Church for eight years, and that very day had a 'reversion,' " recalls Bernetsky.

Despite the stigma attached to door-to-door evangelism, YTM reports the response they get is surprising. "People are shocked and actually pleased to discover Catholics on their doorstep." Dressed in YTM "Catholic Missionary" t-shirts with blessed wooden crosses around their necks, the evangelists canvass entire neighborhoods in groups of three. They visit between 700-800 homes during each two-week mission. They then present the information they've gathered from their visits to the local pastor.

YTM missionaries also host after-school activities and catechism programs for neighborhood kids, and take part in evening activities hosted by the parish to coincide with the mission. Once trained, members of YTM can conduct smaller missions in their home parishes and dioceses. According to Bernetsky, the YTM evangelists always say they receive much more than they give on the missions.

YTM leaders believe that "you can't give what you don't have." They encourage their missionaries to be genuine, to seek common ground with those to whom they speak, and above all, to love each person they meet.

"Our missionary teams are not going to convert people," says Bernetsky. "We are merely instruments of the Holy Spirit, planting seeds." Bernetsky would like to see door-to-door evangelism become better known among Catholics. He says pastors need help and that young people are an incredible, untapped resource.

Although every Christian is called to evangelize, Bernetsky doesn't think door-to-door missions are for everyone. "It's a special call," he says. Certain qualities make for an effective door-knocking evangelist: a personal relationship with Christ, an appreciation of the Church and Her teachings, an ability to articulate what your faith personally means, a strong sense of commitment, a team-playing attitude and, of course, a love of people.

Since its inception, YTM has organized over 40 missions in the United States and three internationally, with over 600 missionaries. Some of their mission sites include: Delta, Colorado; Dallas, Texas; Detroit, Michigan; Mobile, Alabama; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Miami, Florida; Manhattan, New York; Los Angeles, California; London, England; Manitoba, Canada; and Providence, Bahamas. Over 20,000 lay missionaries are involved in YTM sister efforts throughout the world.

For more information on how to join or how to bring YTM to your area, contact Paul Bernetsky, Youth for the Third Millennium, P.O. Box 60001, Potomac, MD, 20859, 301-365-3205, fax: 301-469-7522, e-mail: YTM2000@aol.com.