by Jim McManus and Mary Cullen

A note from the Chair

As by far the junior member of the group convened by Ian Willock in late 1990 to consider the publication of a lay led journal on church affairs in the Catholic tradition, I never expected to be chair of its board – and certainly could not have contemplated it continuing to be produced 35 years to the month after its first edition in December that year. My seniors were tremendous optimists, full of the hope generated by Vatican II and talked of a potential subscription list of 1-2,000. Those hopes may have been frustrated but the continued existence of the journal would delight them.

That continued existence is due to the commitment of many people over the years. We have always had a Board – mainly because this is required for things like bank accounts and maintaining general policy oversight to keep the enterprise alive. The treasurer has been an essential person in this regard and we have been extremely well served in this role over the years by Ian Willock and James Armstrong, who both combined the role with that of chair and editor. Over many years now Florence Boyle has combined the role with organising many other things including maintaining the subscription list, supporting the editor and subscribers, organising events, and producing ideas to sustain the whole concept. Other Board members, including the chair, have contributed; but without the input of Florence and the editor, we would not have reached the age we have.

Photo: Word cloud from a readers survey in 2020 by Dominic Cullen