My favorite time of year has always been autumn. I love watching the colors of the trees erupt into blazing colors of orange, red, and yellow. And while I mourn the warm days of summer, I embrace new seasons and all the possibilities. Yes, everything changes.
That includes the publishing industry. In recent years, rising postage costs, reduced print readership, and paper costs have presented both a challenge and an opportunity for us to renew ourselves in ways that we haven’t had to before. But we have responded to those changes and continue to, just as we have before.
Over my 31 years with this magazine, I have seen a number of changes take place. In fact, when I first started, the use of computers was just making its way into our company. We’ve transitioned from St. Anthony Messenger Press to Franciscan Media to better reflect our numerous media offerings. And we launched our very first website, which now sees over 8 million visits a year.
Over the years, the look of the magazine has changed, columns have come and gone, and a digital edition of the magazine has offered an enhanced version of the print. The goal, however, has remained the same—to bring you, our readers, a more appealing and fulfilling magazine experience, featuring content that enhances and strengthens your faith life.
In that spirit, we are excited to let you know that some changes to the magazine will be coming soon. Beginning in January, we will be moving from 10 issues a year to six enhanced issues. Doing so allows us to bring you even more content through the inclusion of more articles and columns and an enhanced digital version of the magazine on our website.
Yes, change can be hard. But it can also be exciting. Just as we embrace the changing of the seasons, let us also embrace all the changes in life and the possibilities they hold.
