We are living through a transformative moment in history. The world has become smaller. Borders have grown porous not only geographically but also in culture, conversation, and communion. Air travel is accessible, digital technology has woven an inter-connected web of communication, and ideas are exchanged across continents at the speed of a click.
In such a world, we, as Redemptorists, are called once again to “cross to the other side” (Mark 4:35). This is not merely a physical crossing, but a spiritual and pastoral one. It is a crossing of cultures, languages, mindsets, and, above all, mission. The call to preach the gospel ever anew has never been more urgent or more universal.
Today, the Redemptorist mission is no longer bound to the local parish or province. It is a global call to proclaim the message of “plentiful redemption” to the most abandoned, wherever they may be found in bustling cities or in forgotten corners, in digital spaces or in the solitude of human hearts. It is in this spirit that we launch Liguorian International, a renewed and global expression of a magazine with a storied history.
From Seminary to the World
The roots of Liguorian magazine trace back to 1913, when five Redemptorist priests in a seminary in Oconomowoc began publishing a periodical to accompany those who had just experienced Redemptorist missions. These early issues served as pastoral follow-up, offering spiritual insights, moral guidance, and encouragement to families striving to live their Catholic faith. With just $50 of seed funding and a circulation of 500 copies, Liguorian was born, not as a commercial venture, but as a continuation of mission.
Over the decades, under the stewardship of committed editors like Fr. Donald Miller and Fr. Louis Miller, the magazine grew in reach and relevance. By the 1990s, it was read by tens even hundreds of thousands across the United States, as well as in corners of the globe where Redemptorist missionaries had planted seeds of faith.
I remember reading Liguorian while I was in the Redemptorist seminary in Bangalore, India, in the 2000s. It was hailed by the US bishops as “a balanced picture of the teachings of the Church and the needs of Catholics in today’s world.” Yet, Liguorian was never just a magazine. It was, and remains, a pastoral tool, a printed pulpit from which the gospel is preached with clarity, compassion, and courage.
Why Liguorian International?
The vision of Liguorian International emerges from the very heart of our Redemptorist identity. Today, more than ever, we are a Congregation in motion, both geographically and pastorally. We are restructuring for the mission, reimagining how to collaborate across provinces and continents, and recommitting ourselves to the Church’s universal call to evangelize.
But our mission must meet people where they are. And where are they today? In a media-saturated world, often overwhelmed by misinformation and spiritual confusion.
In a cultural landscape marked by disconnection, polarization, and despair. In a time when people hunger not only for information but also for authentic wisdom, rooted in faith Liguorian International steps into this context with a clear purpose: to be a Catholic, Trusted, and Pastoral voice across the globe. Not just for the United States, but now also for India, Ireland, South Africa, the Philippines, and wherever Redemptorists serve. As the Apostle Paul writes, “I have become all things to all, to save at least some” (1 Corinthians 9:22b). So, too, must we adapt not the message, but the means so the Good News may be heard, seen, and received with joy.
A Global Mission with Local Roots
Liguorian International is not an export; it is an exchange. It is not about packaging one nation’s experience for another. Rather, it is about discovering the common soil of faith and allowing it to bear fruit uniquely in each land.
This model will draw on the core spiritual and theological content from the U.S. edition of Liguorian magazine’s reflections on Catholic living, morality, spirituality, and pastoral care, and it will be updated, edited, and contextualized by local editorial teams in each region. These teams will have the freedom to add voices, images, and insights that speak directly to the cultural and ecclesial realities of their communities. Thus, Liguorian International becomes both universal and particular. It speaks a global language of faith while being heard in a local accent. It is, in the truest sense, global, a ministry that is grounded in place but lifted by the wind of the Spirit across borders.
Pope Francis reminds us in Evangelii Gaudium, “The Church is called to be the house of the Father, with doors always wide open” (EG 47). In the same way, Liguorian International will open wide its pages to the voices and visions of the global Church.
Media Ministry for the New Millennium
The Liguorian International initiative is not simply a publishing project. Rather, it is a missionary expression of the Redemptorist charism in today’s digital and interconnected world. At a time when financial resources are limited and personnel are stretched thin, Liguorian International offers a model of collaboration, co-creation, and communion. By sharing resources, articles, artwork, and editorial guidance, we make it possible for more people in more places to encounter the gospel through this time-tested medium. The magazine will integrate print and digital tools, such as QR codes that link to local Redemptorist media content, videos, podcasts, and online reflections. Social media and YouTube platforms will extend the conversation beyond the page.
As Redemptorists, we do not retreat from the media landscape; we engage it with discernment, creativity, and faith. We follow the example of St. Alphonsus Liguori, who used every means at his disposal, including pamphlets, books, missions, and music, to reach the hearts of people.
Hope Moving Forward
This new frontier excites me, not because it is easy, but because it is faithful. It reflects the best of who we are as Redemptorists: missionaries of hope, builders of communion, and servants of God’s people. Liguorian International is a step toward the kind of Church we are called to become and the communities we are called to build. One that is global in solidarity, local in service, and always walking with those on the margins.
We pray that this new initiative may be led by the Holy Spirit, inspired by the vision of our founder, and strengthened by the partnership of readers, writers, and religious across the world. As we launch this new chapter, we do so in faith, echoing the words of Christ himself: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Luke 10:2). May Liguorian International be one such laborer. And may it bear fruit that endures.
by Charles Vijay Kumar, C.Ss.R.
Denverlink, Volume 19, Issue 02, January 16, 2026
