When The Catholic Standard & Times announced in March that it would convert to a monthly publication and launch the new Phaith monthly magazine, the news came with hope for growth in the future, but also with some questions.
Some of the most frequent have been “What happens to my subscription when the paper is published monthly instead of weekly?” “How do I renew my subscription now if the paper becomes a monthly in the fall?” And, “Is The Standard being replaced?” {{more}}
First, no, The Standard is not being replaced. The presentation of Catholic news and commentary will continue, just published once per month starting in September. Some changes to the paper which readers have suggested will include larger and bolder typeface to make articles easier to read.
As for subscriptions, a complicated answer can be boiled down to a simple response. If you have a current subscription it will continue. A one-year subscription to The Standard is $30 not for one year on a calendar but for 46 issues. So if you bought a new $30 subscription or renewed yours or that of a friend, it would last for 46 issues.
For example, if you bought a $30 subscription last week, you would receive five issues in June (there are five Thursdays) and four in the summer (two in July and two in August because we publish every other week in those months, just as in past years). After those nine issues you would still expect 37 issues, since you paid for 46. At that rate you would not need to renew your subscription for three years.
Beginning in the summer we’ll offer a new price of $15 for 12 issues, either to renew your subscription or for new readers to purchase one.
We will invite readers whose subscription will soon expire to renew at the present cost of $30 for 46 issues. If they renew at that cost, we will deliver their paper every week until all 46 have been sent, however long that takes.
If readers choose to wait until September to purchase at the new price, we will extend their subscription so they begin to receive their monthly Standard at that time, without missing any issues this summer.
Readers are invited to call us at 215-587-3667 to discuss questions further.
The Catholic Standard & Times is preparing to change with the times while still delivering the news of the Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, as it has for 116 years.
Share this story