“Snap, vigor and courage.”

Msgr. Matthew Smith’s foundational formula has served the Register well. As long as the paper stuck to it, it thrived. When it didn’t — most notably in the 1960s and early ’70s — it sagged.

This is what many Church projects have experienced.

Whenever Catholics have begun to take its congregants for granted, slipped into mediocrity and strayed from fidelity, their projects have withered and weakened. Whenever the people began to think of the Church’s work as someone’s else’s responsibility to provide for them, the Church’s work has slowed or stopped.

But when Catholics have been vigorous, unafraid to use the latest technologies and techniques, and uncomplicatedly faithful to the Catholic faith, the Church in America has thrived. Whenever the people themselves put their own resources at stake to support the efforts of the Church, their sacrifice has paid them dividends.

Today, the Register is once again growing because people have stepped up and taken ownership of it as their own.

Our growth potential is so large that we have had to deliberately put on the brakes in order to allow our company’s infrastructure to support all the subscriptions we’d like to have. The only thing stopping us from being the largest circulation Catholic newspaper in America is a shortage of funds.

We’re proud of our paper’s 80-year history and well aware that we are standing on the shoulders of giants. But we’re even more excited about the next 80 years.

What Catholic apostles are reading the Register today, and getting inspired by the stories of Catholics who put their faith into action? What authors are being formed by what they read here? What business people? What filmmakers? What musicians?

Stay tuned to find out. They are already making their mark, and you can read all about it right here.