By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor
Twenty-three years ago in this column, I wrote about a subtle but persistent thought that felt like a nudge from God and led to a new chapter in my life as editor of The Catholic Messenger. Seven months ago in this column, I wrote about another nudge from God, a two-year journey with five other Catholic professionals, grounded in faith and Ignatian spirituality, to discern the next chapter in our lives. Now it’s time to turn the page. On Sept. 23, I will begin the next chapter — retirement — and my successor, Dan Russo, will begin his next chapter as editor of The Catholic Messenger.
Dan’s journalism experience and his passion for our Catholic faith will benefit readers and our staff. He served as editor of The Witness, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, from December 2014 until October 2020, when the publication ceased operation. For three years prior to leading the Witness, he worked as a staff writer and photographer for the publication.
Most recently, he has been working as a freelance writer for The Telegraph Herald in Dubuque, Iowa, where he researched and wrote in-depth feature articles focusing on local businesses and human interest stories. Prior to that, he worked as a content specialist and printing technician for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. His work has been featured in several publications, faith-based and secular. Dan will assume his new role Sept. 22, with the blessing of our publisher, Bishop Dennis Walsh and The Catholic Messenger Board of Directors.
Each week’s creation of The Catholic Messenger is a labor of love for our staff. We give birth 50 times a year to a publication committed to educating, informing and inspiring readers in their journey of faith, their lived experience of Catholicism. We help the people of our diocese to explore what it means to be Church in our parishes, our diocese, our country and our world.
This labor of love is hard to let go, even though I anticipate exciting opportunities in this next chapter of my life, actually, a new book! My journalism career spans 45 years this month — 22 years at the Quad-City Times and 23 years at The Catholic Messenger.
Letting go is challenging work but the right thing to do. Richard P. Johnson, PhD, helped me understand why in his book, “Creating a Successful Retirement: Finding Peace and Purpose.” Johnson wrote that personal change is difficult not because it is hard to open new doors but because it’s so hard to close old doors.
In the column from 23 years ago, I wrote:
“So many aspects of The Messenger appealed to me: the opportunity to immerse myself in my Catholic faith, more time to explore and analyze faith issues, and the ability to share and incorporate fresh ideas with the diocesan newspaper. But leaving the Times, where I had spent one-half of my entire life, was unfathomable.” With God’s grace, I realized, “the Times helped nurture me for this new role.”
The Catholic Messenger, then, helped nurture me for the next role, the next chapter, in my pilgrim journey. I anticipate continuing to use the gifts with which God has blessed me, particularly in reporting, writing and editing.
My gratitude runs deep for everyone who has filled this chapter in my life. Thank you, Catholic Messenger staffers Anne Marie Amacher, Tony Forlini, Phil Hart, Dom Myers-Foster and Lindsay Steele. Thank you to our board of directors and our chancery staff. Thank you to Bishop Walsh and the bishops who preceded him as our publisher — Thomas Zinkula, Martin Amos and William Franklin. Finally, thank you to all of our faithful readers. You help us to bring The Catholic Messenger to life.
(Contact Editor Barb Arland-Fye at arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org)
