THE TABLET
Feb.. 2, 2008

100 Years of The Tablet

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Come April, when The Tablet celebrates its 100th anniversary of publication, it is likely that more than a few parishioners will engage in a bit of nostalgia and recall standing on the steps of their neighborhood church as young boys, earning some change by selling the weekly diocesan newspaper with some variation of the original call, “Tablet, five cents a copy.” Surely, for many of these eager youngsters, the experience became the beginning of an enduring relationship with the paper as regular readers.

I am told that a former Tablet salesboy has often said that he began reading the paper because of its weekly summer sports feature about Catholic major league baseball players. Today, the challenge of drawing a young person’s attention toward a newspaper and away from an over indulgence in videos and the Internet is formidable. But it is an effort well worth pursuing, because words on paper can still open minds to all facets of our world.

In order to move that effort forward, I recommended and encouraged the development of a plan to place more copies of The Tablet in people’s homes, so that parents and children could read the sections of the paper that appeal to each of them. Such a plan went into effect late last year, with a percentage of supporters of the Annual Catholic Appeal selected to receive the paper in the home each week by mail.

My hope was, and still is, that having The Tablet in parishioners’ home to be read at their leisure would energize their religious practice, enhance their knowledge of the faith and increase their awareness of the people and events that mark the life of the Church, not only here in Brooklyn and Queens, but also on a national and international level. Each of these helps us expand our involvement in spreading the New Evangelization.

These thoughts come about at the beginning of February, identified for decades as Catholic Press Month. Last week, on Jan. 24, the Church commemorated the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of the Catholic Press. His classic 17th century book, “Introduction to the Devout Life,” stressed that sanctity is possible in everyday life. Today, when The Tablet describes how people of faith sanctify everyday life, whether in our parishes or in places afar, its articles and commentaries reemphasize the wisdom of St. Francis, using contemporary terms.

Without intending to cast a negative tone, it is true, nevertheless, that occasions arise when some public media outlets, print and electronic, misinterpret what the Church teaches or its position on public policy matters and thereby present it imprecisely.  It is at that point that a news article or editorial comment or opinion column in a Catholic publication like our weekly diocesan newspaper is invaluable in setting the record straight. In his World Communications Day message for 2008, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, reminds communicators to search for the truth in order to share it with others, urging them to be courageous and “authentic witnesses to the truth, faithful to Christ’s mandate and enthusiastic for the message of faith.”

This holds true not only with certain media, but even with members of our own faith tradition. It is disappointing when persons who identify themselves as Catholics speak inaccurately about even the basics of our belief system. Or they miss the mark when they comment on Church initiatives in the public sphere. I am certain that they would benefit from a regular reading of The Tablet.

On a personal note, writing in this space in each week’s issue of our diocesan newspaper is a wonderful opportunity to talk about our Diocese, about the Church on the national level, and about the Universal Church. There are times, which are rare I am happy to say, when what I present does not coincide with the opinion of a reader, expressed in conversation or in a letter. Usually it focuses on immigration matters. I welcome those exchanges when they occur. It encourages these efforts to stay in touch with you on issues that matter.

Anyone who turns the pages of The Tablet will also recognize that, despite a small editorial staff, our newspaper covers and features in words and pictures many events in the life of the Diocese during the course of the year. Often they reflect the ethnic diversity of Brooklyn and Queens. These activities celebrate the spiritual richness of our Catholic population, and those that depict the events significant to the new arrivals from other lands introduce us to the culture and heritage of others in our family of faith. When we know one another, we can serve one another better.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to participating in two events that will commemorate The Tablet’s centennial.  A Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James on Sunday, Feb. 24, and a festive dinner at the Marriott by the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday, April 11. The editor and his staff will provide more details as time goes on. Also ahead is The Tablet’s Centennial Issue, scheduled for April 5.

As we approach the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, I would ask you to consider setting time aside in the weeks to come for spiritual reading. The book I mentioned earlier, “Introduction to the Devout Life,” is one you might find fulfilling. Or a current title, “Jesus of Nazareth,”  by Pope Benedict XVI, which  highlights what the Bible says about Jesus, the moral implications of what He taught and how reading Scripture can lead to a more intense relationship with Jesus. The Scripture columns that appear weekly in The Tablet could be a companion to the words that appear in these spiritual volumes.

A century ago, my predecessor, Bishop Charles McDonnell, Second Bishop of Brooklyn, launched The Tablet, “putting it out into the deep” to serve the informational needs of the faithful. The paper has remained true to its task, attracting readers not only here but elsewhere in our country. I am grateful for all it does to enrich one’s knowledge of the Church, and urge you, dear readers, to continue to read it and support it.