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Friday, Sep 10, 2010 |
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History of CSFCatholic San Francisco's first edition was datelined Feb. 12, 1999, but its beginning must be traced to "A Journey of Hope Toward the Third Millennium: The Pastoral Plan of the Pilgrim Church of San Francisco," the far-reaching pastoral plan for the Archdiocese developed with broad consultation and consensus between 1993 and 1995.
Officially adopted on Dec. 15, 1995, that strategic document strongly recommended, "that the Archdiocese complete in the year 1996 an in-depth study to determine the viability of an archdiocesan newspaper."
The Archdiocese had been served by its own newspaper, The Monitor, from 1858 until 1984 when it was succeeded by other communications tools including a monthly magazine. "A Journey of Hope," however, called on the Archdiocese to revitalize communications efforts.
"Communications was singled out with some urgency as key to the implementation of the pastoral plan," wrote then-Archbishop, now-Cardinal William Levada in that first 1999 edition.
"For this reason, I established a task force with then Auxiliary Bishop Patrick J. McGrath (now Bishop of San Jose) as chair to review and prioritize the recommendations in this area. The task force emphatically validated the need for a first-rate Catholic newspaper - since many of the other recommendations for more effective communications could be greatly enhanced by such a vehicle," the cardinal wrote.
A subsequent feasibility study that included research and consultation yielded clear conclusions: the educational level in the Archdiocese indicated high readership potential and an advertising base would be likely to carry a significant portion of the newspaper's budget, notably if it were mailed to every registered Catholic household in the Archdiocese.
Those cornerstones - high readership, strong advertising support and total circulation, combined with an award-winning editorial product - have been present in Catholic San Francisco since its first edition. |
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