Catholic Publisher Spring 2010 : Page 2
Head vs. heart: Which one better serves a Church under attack? Patrick M. O’Brien is president and chief executive officer of FAITH Catholic and publisher of Catholic Publisher. Direct: 517.853.7601; E-mail: pobrien@faithcatholic.com happens next year when the competition comes out with a new, more fuel efficient, tractor?” Instead, we should engage people at a deeper level; reveal a deeper truth so they will stay loyal through thick and thin. That is why some car commercials don’t show the car. The heart leads the head. B Our cover subject is an unlikely per- son to understand this lesson. Bishop Burbidge, of the growing Diocese of Raleigh, was previously an auxiliary bishop of a large archdiocese, where he was responsible for a large newspaper – head stuff. Now, he chooses a magazine to reach his people with both personal faith stories and news – both head and heart. You can read about him on page IV and an entire issue of NC Catholic is inserted in this issue. Catholic publishers tend to focus on the head – the rationality of our theology, the depth of our moral teaching, the need to sustain ministry, or most recently, defense of the papal response to abuse in the Church. Get- ting the truth out is critical. Helping people engage with the truth is better. That is why engagement is the theme if this issue. You know Gallup for their polling. You may not know that Gallup also focuses on Church engagement. Why is there such a decline in Mass adherence? Gallup’s Dr. Albert Winseman, wrote a book with some answers, “Growing an Engaged Church.” Each May, diocesan editors from all over the country gather for FAITH Catholic’s annual meeting. Dr. Winseman’s is delivering this year’s keynote to help our client publications improve engagement. You will meet him in this issue of Catholic Publisher on page 34. One lesson from his book reminded me of the lesson I learned above. Church leaders have a com- mon perception, that believing leads to belonging. According to Gallup’s data, this is backward. Belonging leads to believing. In other words, the heart leads the head. Who will reveal a deeper truth so people will stay loyal through thick and thin? It is us, Catholic Publishers, who must step up. Let us lead with our hearts.” It is painful to see the clergy abuse crisis unravel across the globe. Coupled with declining adherence numbers, there is a strong need to get the right message out. Catholic Publishers have a critical role and it is tempting to lead with the head. I suggest we consider leading with the heart. Bishop Earl Boyea, Diocese of Lansing, is a good example of this. Very soon after becoming ordinary, Bishop Boyea did something bold. One of his first ideas as publisher was to address the issue of abuse and the Church’s response in FAITH Magazine. The head stuff was in the issue – apologies, policy changes, stats and figures on the diocese’s compliance with the Charter. But, the heart stuff is what made this issue bold. “How Maggie forgave the priest that abused her” was the cover story. What hap- pened to her was horrible. Readers were captivated by her enduring faith. Many, who were angered, softened to pride in reading about the Church’s response and a healing retreat for vic- tims. A priest apologized for abusive priests, a therapist apologized for disbelieving parents, and the bishop apologized for an unresponsive Church. It was moving. This issue was effective because it appealed to the heart and the head. It told a deeper truth. I would also argue that the medium added to the mes- sage. Could this story have been told in a just-give-me-the-facts newspaper, or a give-me-the-highlights Web site? I suggest that the most effective way to engage the head and the heart is the immersive format of a magazine. Our Church stands humbled but it is head- ing toward a more perfect plan. Who will reveal a deeper truth so people will stay loyal through thick and thin? It is us, Catholic Publishers, who must step up. Let us lead with our hearts. eing humbled can lead you to a more perfect plan. I did not see it this way when my idea got shot down. It all happened when I was in advertising and the gist was this. We had a large equipment manufacturer for a client that introduced a new tractor. Improvements in fuel efficiency made it better than the industry leader. My plan would focus on this im- provement – perfect, right? Wrong. A more experienced colleague corrected me, “What from the publisher
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