A(nother) Step Into The Future . . .

The unknown that lies before is always an act of faith. It is more than the belief that the risk of a new adventure will bring variables, changes and unforeseen realities. It is faith because of a firm conviction that man does not walk alone. He walks with his sometimes unseen and unfelt fellow man. More importantly, he walks with God.

The step into the new may be as narrow and demanding as balancing along a fallen tree. As joyful and carefree as the adventures of a little boy in the beauties of God’s creations. As intriguing as the play of light and shadow through tall, strong, trees.

We ask you to step along with us, asking your indulgence, patience and support. We ask our Father to enlighten and guide our wandering ways as we search through His beauties for His Message.

I thank God every day for those words – and I have since I first read them last summer. I didn’t write them, although I wish I had.

No … those words are from retired Father Joe Ziliak. He published them on the front page of the first-ever issue of The Message, which he edited. Father Joe was the Diocese of Evansville’s first Director of Communications. I am grateful to have the chance to get to know him – and all of you – and even more grateful to have this opportunity to follow in his footsteps.

Written more than 43 years ago, Father Joe’s words ring true today because, beginning immediately, we are offering digital subscriptions to the community newspaper of the Diocese of Evansville. Using the envelope included with this issue, or by going to www.TheMessageOnline.org, you can begin enjoying every issue of The Message on your computer, tablet, smart phone – or all three.

A one-year digital subscription is only $12; just provide an active email address with your payment, and we will provide a link for you every week to use in downloading the new issue of the paper in PDF format. Note – we will only use this address for our emails to you; nothing else.

We are not abandoning the print edition of The Message. Instead, we are expanding our delivery methods. If you subscribe to the print edition of the paper, take note – if you provide us with your email address when you renew your annual $24 subscription to the print edition, we’ll provide the digital edition every week at no additional charge!

Message Sunday is Jan. 26 – this weekend. We urge you to renew your subscription if you have one. We urge you to try the print and/or digital editions if you’re not already a subscriber. We thank all of our current subscribers for your ongoing support, and we look forward to serving all of you who will become new subscribers. We will be grateful for your decision to take a step into the future with us, and we will do everything we can to make The Message the very best community newspaper possible.

Before ending this week, I also want to recognize three members of The Message team who also make major contributions to the overall diocesan communications effort. You don’t hear much about them, but the communications office could not function without them.

We announce today that Sheila Barclay becomes the Design Editor of The Message, effective immediately. It’s a title Sheila earned a long time ago – and one that we are remiss in not applying before now. Her work consistently makes our stories and photos stand out, and her talents are equaled only by her dedication to the diocese and The Message.

We also thank Diane Csukas for the great work and significant contributions she makes to the paper and the overall communications effort on a daily basis. Diane is responsible for assuring that our systems for processing subscriptions and advertising work as they should, and she works to continuously improve them. She also contributes editorially to every issue of The Message, and we could not publish an issue without her.

The same can be said for Steve Halbig. Steve works for The Message part-time, but his contributions make a full-time impact on the quality of our paper and our customer service. Steve worked for the Evansville Courier & Press, and his contributions reflect those of a talented professional who cares about readers and subscribers.

Managing Editor Mary Ann Hughes and I are truly blessed to work with such an amazing team. Pray for all of us, please; and if you can, renew or start a new print or digital subscription to The Message.

 Father Joe was right. This is His Message, as it was in October 1970. We pray to God