When asked about the importance of diocesan newspapers, Bishop Emeritus Paul S. Loverde got right to the point.
“I like print,” he said, contrasting the difference between online news and newspapers. “You get soundbites online, but soundbites are not enough and can often be misleading. We still need a format where we can read and consider things as a whole, in depth. I just think there will always be a need for newspapers. I really believe that.”
Some diocesan newspapers have closed or converted to magazine format in recent years, in addition to expanding their online presence.
Bishop Loverde thinks that without a regular print publication, Catholics are missing out. “The paper is a way of uniting people throughout the diocese,” he said. “I see it as an instrument of evangelization to proclaim God’s message in different ways. So when we do articles about what people have done in terms of ministry — be they priests, religious or laity — isn’t that an encouragement to people to know that this is how God works?”
Growing up in the Archdiocese of Hartford, Conn., Bishop Loverde said his family depended on The Catholic Transcript that was founded in 1896. “When I was a boy, The Transcript covered all three dioceses that now includes the dioceses of Norwich and Bridgeport,” he said. “We always had a diocesan paper and it played a big part in our lives.”
The Catholic Transcript still exists, but ceased publication as a newspaper in 2020 to become a monthly magazine.
The Diocese of Arlington’s third bishop thinks that the Catholic Herald played an important role when he was bishop between 1999 and 2016. “First of all, when we celebrated our 25th diocesan anniversary, I had just come,” he said. “That was a great story. I thought that was so inspiring for me and I think for the people. The ordinations were always very special and the way the Herald reported on the deaths and inaugurations of our Holy Fathers was exceptional.”
Bishop Loverde was also grateful that he had a way to communicate directly with the people in the Herald. He said he enjoys reading Bishop Michael F. Burbidge’s columns. “It’s an instrument for the bishop,” he said, noting that the Herald is still the best place to convey a pastoral message. “It’s also just a great way to communicate all the wonderful things going on and binding the people across a diocese that is 6,500 square miles.”
He doesn’t mind bragging a bit about the Herald. “Of all the Catholic papers in the country, we’ve won so many awards,” said the bishop. “That has always been a great source of joy to me.”
