Partners in Publishing
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July 18, 2023Inspired by St. Alphonsus Liguori, the apostolate of the pen has been a model of collaboration and partnership in mission between Redemptorists and laity at Liguori Publications for more than 75 years.
Nestled in the gentle rolling hills of the Midwest in the U.S. is a hustling and bustling Redemptorist ministry wrapped in a business. In addition to the St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community on the campus of Liguori, Missouri you’ll find the operations of Liguori Publications—within a hefty 58,000 square foot brick and mortar structure.
There, nearly 2000 products (including Liguorian magazine) are produced, maintained, and distributed to Catholics and institutions all over the world. Many of our best customers are Redemptorists!
A bit of history: Not long after World War II ended, a band of five Redemptorists under the leadership of Fr. Donald Miller made their way from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin to Barnhart, Missouri. These intrepid missionaries had found success with publishing Liguorian magazine and wanted a place to expand their ministry of the printed word and devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
In 1947, surrounded by farms and cows, they settled in the cedar-filled pastoral countryside of Jefferson County and turned antiquated buildings that were once used for recreation and lodging into their offices.
It seems likely that Fr. Don and his confreres knew right away that their vision for the publishing ministry and the mission would need the support of lay people. So, in addition to adding four more Redemptorists to the new community, he employed laity—mostly locals—to help run the business.
I found this rich quote from him in a report from August 1951, just five years after the Redemptorists landed in Liguori, MO: “…It has been found that the publishing task at Liguori does not prevent the Fathers and Brothers engaged in it from participating to a certain degree in the other missionary works of the congregation. The contacts with bishops and pastors have opened up new fields for missions and retreats, so much so that it is impossible to accept all the invitations that are offered….This is made possible by the fact that most of the routine office work connected with the publications is now in the hands of lay employees, thus leaving the Fathers and Brothers free for editorial work and other activities. Missionary work, in turn is of benefit to the writing apostolate, because it keeps the Fathers and Brothers in touch with the needs of the people.”
The “routine office work” managed by the laity of Liguori Publications has expanded over the years. With fewer Redemptorists appointed to the publishing ministry of Liguori, most every facet of the business includes a lay person (or two). Today, departments of finance, business operations, inventory management, fulfillment and warehouse management, marketing, sales, customer service, editorial acquisitions and editing, ecommerce, digital and creative services and IT all rely on the lay involvement.
As of this writing, the staff of Liguori includes fifteen lay people and two professed Redemptorists. We also enlist help from our neighbors and confreres at St. Clement from time to time. Fr. Byron Miller, the current president and publisher has overseen the ministry since 2015.
The Redemptorist mission is at the heart of the ministry of Liguori Publications. Through the products we create and send out to the world, it’s natural that we learn about the history of the congregation, the importance of preaching the gospel anew, and the fundamental ministry to the poor and abandoned. But perhaps most importantly, to work alongside a Redemptorist is to learn firsthand about the charism and the spirit of the congregation through a lived experience.
Redemptorists roll up their sleeves and work right alongside the employees in all areas of the business, fostering professional relationships while at the same time forming us in the ways of the Redemptorist mission. I believe this “formula” has had a positive impact on the mission and the longevity of the ministry.
Historically, there has been a low turnover rate among employees. There are several 40+ year employees currently working at Liguori, and I’ve had many conversations with my team members over the years about the mission and the ministry being important reasons for our career choices. Even some who have moved on from Liguori Publications say that their lives were changed by being a part of the ministry and they stay connected to this day with the Redemptorists and employees as alumni.
Bringing the meaning of the mission to the employees and work of our publishing business has taken different forms and flavors over the years. Appointed by the president and publisher and typically led by a staff Redemptorist, the offices of mission effectiveness, mission advancement, or mission sponsorship have served as avenues for sharing news of the congregation, the confreres, and celebrating the feasts and occasions that are so much a part of our Redemptorist lives.
We’ve participated in seminars, conferences, and days of learning on topics about notable Redemptorists and Redemptorist spirituality given by Redemptorists from around the world. Sometimes, education is found through work on a particular project, like Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter or Liguorian magazine.
One of my favorite memories is when Brother Dan Korn came to a celebration for the feast of St. Alphonsus dressed as Alphonsus. In 1997 on the Feast of St. Clement, the first Lay Missionaries of the Most Holy Redeemer in St. Louis, MO made their commitment and within that group were two Liguori Publications employees: Alicia von Stamwitz and Terry Matz. Thanks to an invitation by my Liguori Publications coworker Fr. Paul Coury and because of the profound impact that working alongside Redemptorists had made in my spiritual life, I made my commitment as a Lay Missionary in 2006.
As we seek to grow partnership in mission in North America and throughout the world, we should place special emphasis on fostering our professional relationships with the laity in our retreat centers, shrines, parishes, and publishing houses. These are logical places to find laity to share in our charism and mission.
I’ll close with this quote from Guidelines for Maintaining a Redemptorist Character in Our Churches, Parishes, and Shrines, published in 2021 by the Commission of New Initiatives General Secretariat for Evangelization. Even though the document doesn’t specifically reference publishing, the concept still applies, as it does to all Redemptorist ministries where there is an opportunity for collaborating as a team:
“…Pastoral ministry in Redemptorist churches must also be characterized by collaborative links in the apostolate between professed Redemptorists and lay people. Although our work takes place in many churches, parishes and shrines, it is important to maintain the awareness and practice of a true missionary team composed of the laity, consecrated men and women, priests and other ministries around us. The laity are called to co-operate in the mission of preaching the Plentiful Redemption through their own way of life, being a leaven in the world, and through apostolic activity. In this way, each Redemptorist church is truly an apostolic community and a "perfect sign of Christ among men" (Est. Gen. 14c).
This collaborative team approach to pastoral ministry requires adequate planning and resources for theological, spiritual, and practical formation of both professed Redemptorists and Lay Partners in mission. We need to promote initiatives and pastoral projects, creative and original, that put us in tune with the Church “going out” as proposed by Pope Francis….”
1) The Redemptorists who moved to Missouri in 1947 are pictured shortly after arriving. Identified from left. First row: Ernest Miller, George Corbett, Donald F. Miller (rector), Francis Darmady, Louis G. Miller. Second row: John Schaefer, Francis Bockwinkel, Thomas Tobin. Third row: Raymond McKee, Jerome Mess, Raymond Gaydos.
2) A group of the first lay employees of Liguori Publications stand on the steps of one of the old buildings that became the newly opened U.S. Post Office of Liguori, MO. Fr. John Schaefer is pictured on the far right.
3) The staff of Liguori Publications, July 2023. First row: Wendy Barnes, Fr. Byron Miller, Vivian Esch, John Gantz. Second row: Mark Handrahan, Steve Riggins, Donna Hurley, Denise Jones. Third row: John Krus, Dena Lucas, Fr. Joe Curalli, Emmy Sandstedt (photo not available). Fourth row: Tracey Kane (photo not available) Paige Byrne Shortal, Bill Townsend, Jill Witte.
