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PUBLISHER:
Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez
EDITOR:
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CatholicPhilly.com is the digital successor to The Catholic Standard and Times, official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which ceased publication in June 2012. Founded in 1895, The Catholic Standard and Times won numerous awards for outstanding journalism as it published weekly until September 2011, when it converted to a monthly. At that time it also launched the award-winning Phaith magazine, which also ceased publishing in June 2012.
In its 117 years of serving the Catholic community of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, The Catholic Standard and Times did not receive an operating subsidy from the archdiocese, nor did it enjoy mandated circulation through archdiocesan parishes. A decreasing number of parishes that voluntarily subscribed parishioners to The Catholic Standard and Times and a decreasing number of individual home subscribers resulted in low paid circulation, leading to decreases in advertising revenue due to low customer response rates. With circulation and advertising revenues unable to offset costs, which had been dramatically reduced by every means available since 2007, the newspaper relied on its investment reserves. These reserves became exhausted in June 2012.
The financial condition of the archdiocese precluded an adequate permanent subsidy and the financial condition of archdiocesan parishes precluded a subscription mandate. The only prudent, immediate course was to cease publishing the newspaper.
The decision to cease publication was separate from the archdiocese’s previously published financial condition, as well as its projected budget deficit for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. The closure of the newspaper and downsizing of its staff were not directly related to the announcement of the restructuring of the archdiocesan administration, and its accompanying staff reductions. The Catholic Standard and Times could not continue as a self-sustaining operation; it was not closed by the archdiocese as a cost-cutting measure.
CatholicPhilly.com continues the mission of the former print publication, now in digital format only: to inform, educate and inspire Catholics of the Philadelphia Archdiocese through news and feature stories on the local, national and international level. CatholicPhilly.com is updated every day, presenting local contributors and global content from our partner, Catholic News Service. Check CatholicPhilly.com frequently for breaking Catholic news and inspiring Catholic content.