Changes to the ‘Intermountain Catholic’

Friday, Sep. 26, 2025

The announcement that the Intermountain Catholic will move to an online only format at the end of November should come as no surprise to people familiar with Catholic media. The old print model isn’t financially sustainable in most dioceses. The costs of printing and postage have skyrocketed in recent years, while readership has dropped. Many people now disdain print publications and get their news solely online.

So, yes. I have been expecting this news for a while now, especially because newspapers, both religious and secular, across the country have stopped printing. Still, it’s hard to bear the fact that I’m going to be responsible for shuttering the hard copy of this wonderful historic newspaper, which has published for 125 years. It’s true that we’re going to continue in a new format, and it’s exciting to be the one to lead that effort, but nevertheless I will mourn the printed newspaper that for so long carried news of the Diocese of Salt Lake City to homes in Utah and beyond. Holding a newspaper, physically flipping through the pages, provides a visceral feeling that is sadly lacking when scrolling down a screen.

Another aspect of this change that’s difficult to deal with is that two of the staff positions are being eliminated, which means that people I’ve been working with for years will no longer be here in the office. I can’t express how much I appreciate all the work they’ve done. They’ve been wonderful collaborators in getting the IC out every week, but more than that, they’ve become friends. I’m thankful that the diocese is helping them with job placement efforts, and I’m hoping we keep in touch.

My sadness aside, it’s certainly not time to write the IC’s obituary. With the new format we will continue to report on the news of the diocese to inform the faithful about important local events and interesting people as well as the “successes, failures, joys and sorrows” of the Catholic Church in Utah, as Bishop Oscar A. Solis said last year in the annual subscription appeal.

There will be no subscription appeal this year. Rather, the online format will allow the paper to be sent to all parishioners free of charge. To ensure delivery to your inbox, please update your parish registration, if necessary, to include your email address so that you continue to receive the Intermountain Catholic.

As I consider the implications of the move to a strictly online format, I’m also looking for ways to better serve our readers, particularly in the area of evangelization. Over the next couple of months I will be studying how other dioceses handle their online media and deciding how to incorporate their best ideas into the Intermountain Catholic so that on Nov. 29, as the Catholic Church prepares to begin its new liturgical year, our diocesan newspaper will be ready with its new efforts as well.

Another change that will occur is that I’m going to discontinue writing this column. Regular readers will have noticed that in the past year or so I’ve been on hiatus quite frequently, and the reason is that I’ve run out of things to say. This is another bitter-sweet change; I’ve enjoyed writing this column, particularly because it’s brought me in contact with you readers in way that’s not possible through straight reporting. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed people approaching me at different events to talk about my columns – often but not always to share their love of nature or birds – as well as the letters and emails I’ve received.

As I sign off this column, I’d like to thank all of you readers. You’ve made writing this a pleasure, and I hope you’ll continue to visit when we see each other in person.