If you ever discuss media publications with Catholics in other dioceses, you know the diocesan newspaper is an endangered species.

Once the standard means of communication between a bishop and his flock, many diocesan newspapers have been shut down or replaced with magazines. Since I was hired as a SCH reporter in 2013, three of our neighboring dioceses – La Crosse, Duluth and Green Bay – have shuttered their newspapers.

The business structure of the Superior Catholic Herald is unusual. The Milwaukee, Madison and Superior newspapers were clustered together in an apostolate, which served us well for many years – the Superior crew never needed to include circulation, graphics or advertising staff because the apostolate provided those services, and circulation numbers were strong due to a mandate from the bishop requiring parishes to pay for subscriptions for all member households. Advertisers who wanted to reach thousands of Catholics across the state could place ads in all three newspapers, and for many years the SCH was solvent and the apostolate viable.

But things changed. In 2017, my predecessor, Brian Olszewski, was managing the apostolate and serving as editor of the SCH when a deepening financial crisis led to restructuring. The management position disappeared; we were rolled into the archdiocesan communications department, and the Madison paper left and its employees joined the Diocese of Madison staff.

Financially, the SCH had been in the black, but a few years ago, due to rising costs and falling advertising revenues, that changed, too.

Why the history lesson? Well, we are coming to another transition. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee cannot continue to subsidize a newspaper that does not serve its population, so Bishop Powers and the Presbyteral Council are discussing the future of this publication. While they study the options – which could include keeping the newspaper and moving us, the staff, in-house, or shutting down the paper and switching to a magazine – it would be helpful for them to have feedback.

So, if you have a few minutes to jot down a message, send it to me at and let us know what you think: Do you enjoy having a diocesan newspaper? Which articles do you read? Are you taking advantage of our free e-edition and our website and/or connecting with us on social media? Would you prefer a magazine? If so, why?

As they discuss the SCH’s future, the bishop and his council are also talking about some of the problems that need solving. Foremost among them is timeliness – many subscribers get their papers far later than they should – and one solution could involve moving to a printer in this region, so if you are in the printing business and you are interested in chatting, let me know. One of the reasons we’ve fallen into a deficit is a lack of advertising revenue – we don’t have anyone selling ads for us and, in our current business arrangement, we don’t have the autonomy to hire anyone – but that could change if we joined the Diocese of Superior’s staff. So if you are, say, a retiree or a stay-at-home parent with an advertising background who would be interested in selling ads part-time on commission, we could potentially be seeking someone with your skillset. Or, are you a business owner who would like to advertise with us? Let us know.

Finally, thank you for reading and supporting this publication. May the Lord continue to bless Bishop Powers and all those who work on behalf of God, and this church, in northern Wisconsin.