Homiletic and Pastoral Review
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The Homiletic & Pastoral Review is unique among religious journals in the United States in that it was the very first clergy magazine to appear in the United States and has been the leading journal of its kind for over 100 years.
Here is a brief history of the magazine as related in the November 1995 issue by the current editor of the magazine Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J.:
- It all began in 1900. Mr. Joseph F. Wagner, founder of J.F. Wagner Publishing Co., decided to start a magazine for the Catholic clergy in the U.S.A. He called it The Homiletic Monthly & Catechist, the name it carried until it was changed to the present name in 1919.
- In those days the format was simple: a sample sermon for each Sunday and Feast Day along with some aids for teaching catechism to children. It stayed that way until 1919.
- The first editor until 1916 was Msgr. William O. Brady of St. Joseph's Seminary in Dunwoodie, N.Y., the seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. He was succeeded by two Dominicans, Frs. John A. McHugh and Charles J. Callan. They changed the name to The Homiletic & Pastoral Review because they wanted to do more than just offer sermons. They expanded the scope of HPR, adding articles, Church Documents, Questions Answered and Book Reviews.
- Their tenure was exceptional in the annals of Catholic journalism in the United States. Fr. McHugh was co-editor for 34 years when he went to his eternal reward in 1950. Fr. Callan carried on as sole editor until 1957 when he got some help from a regular contributor, Fr. Adian M. Carr, O.F.M., Conv., who became Associate Editor in October 1957. Beginning with that issue Fr. Carr wrote the first editorial to appear and it was placed where it still resides, on the last page before the cover. The publisher, Mr. Clement J. Wagner, in announcing the new editorial page said that its purpose is "to provide an insight into some salient contemporary problems and to indicate what might well be the priest's attitude toward it" (Vol. 57, September 1957, p. 1172).
- Because of declining health, Fr. Callan was able to do less and less, so in May 1961 Fr. Carr was appointed the new editor and Fr. Callan was listed as "Editor Emeritus," a position he held until his death in February 1962. So he was editor for 45 years — a truly remarkable accomplishment. Let me add that Callan & McHugh did much more than just edit. They founded a parish in Hawthorne, N.Y. and they taught at the Maryknoll Seminary in Ossing, N.Y. during all that time. Both being scholars, they also published 30 books on Scripture and theology. Obviously they didn't have much free time.
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- In 1970 Fr. Carr received permission to leave the Franciscans and join the Trappists in Moncks Corner, S.C. Within five years he was named Prior and a few years after that he was elected Abbot. The last issue he edited was April 1970... For three months there was no editor until Mr. John F. Wagner, president of the company, appointed Msgr. Vincent A. Yzermans of Freeport, Minn., to be the editor. He served as editor until March 1971.
- Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J. assumed editorship in April 1971 and has been on the job ever since. HPR is a model of continuity: in over 100 years there have been only six editors. It is currently owned and published by Ignatius Press, who purchased it in 1995.
