‘70 Years’ of documenting Catholic culture
Posted: 01.02.08
As we begin this new year, we mark the 70th anniversary year of the Florida Catholic’s rich tradition of Catholic journalism in the state of Florida. The first edition of the paper was published Dec. 1, 1939.
For most of the paper’s history, the articles and photographs that have told the story of Florida’s Catholic heritage over the past 70 years have been relegated to the “morgue” – an antiquated term for a newspaper’s library – where they have gathered dust.
Our Web Special, “70 years,” provides the opportunity to dust off the files and conveniently share from these journals of Catholic culture. This Web Log is the starting point for information related to the yearlong celebration of the Florida Catholic’s first 70–years.
“A Moment in Catholic History” will present one post each week summarized from previously published articles that have chronicled Florida’s Catholic history. Over the next year, the “Photo Blog” will be updated daily, five days each week, with a “new” photograph from the archives.
Current staffers, under the direction of managing editor, Denise O’Toole Kelly, have toiled many hours researching, organizing, copying and preparing the information that will be included during 2009 in this Web Special.
Lynn Ramsey has compiled “The Florida Catholic Timeline” which documents some of the important dates in the paper’s history and Ana Rodriguez–Soto reports on the Florida Catholic’s early days in “Statewide paper began in Miami.” Jean Gonzalez takes a look at how front pages have kept us informed about issues and events that have helped shape our Catholic heritage in “Catholic news front and center,” and Linda Reeves writes about how the Florida Catholic has opened a window into rural communities in “Catholicism grows on water’s edges.”
In his editorial, “Newspaper celebrates 70 years,” associate publisher Christopher Gunty reflects on how the Florida Catholic has kept pace with technological changes since 1939 while maintaining its mission to “inform and educate the faithful in Florida with news that matters to Catholics.”
We hope you will join us in our yearlong celebration of the past 70 years of “your faith, your life and your community.”