Transcript of CS#105: Magnificat Magazine

Transcript of Interview with Paul Snatchko about Magnificat Magazine. This interview and others like it can be found at http://www.catholicspotlight.com

Listen Now to the audio version of the show.

Magnificat Magazine at The Catholic Company.

http://www.catholiccompany.com/magnificat-magazine-subscription-1-year-p2005908/

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Chris Cash: Welcome to Catholic Spotlight. This is the Catholic Spotlight, the podcast that we talk about what’s new, cool and exciting in the Catholic marketplace. I’m your host Chris Cash director of E-Commerce from catholiccompany.com, your source for all your Catholic needs.

And today, in the spotlight we have Paul Snatchko, he is – what is your title? Is it Director of Marketing?

Paul Snatchko: Manager of marketing and communication.

Chris Cash: Manager of marketing and communications for Magnificat Magazine, which is just an excellent, excellent publication you know. How long has been Magnificat been around?

Paul Snatchko: In United States, Chris, we are very proud that we are now in our 11th year.

Chris Cash: 11 year, it seems like so much longer. And I can remember back when I was a youth minister, seeing the Magnificat’s lying around the church even then. That’s probably about 11 years ago, I guess. It seems like so *long* [01:16].

Paul Snatchko: Sure.

Chris Cash: Yes, no I guess that would be right. That would be about the same time. And so…

Paul Snatchko: Yes, the first edition was in December of 1998, so last year we had our 10th anniversary. Now, we are very pleased to be into our 11th year.

Chris Cash: So, those were probably the first issues of Magnificat that I – that were lying around my church when I was a youth minister. That sounds so freaky anyway.

Paul Snatchko: Sure.

Chris Cash: So, Paul can you tell us about Magnificat and what it is? And what’s in it? What are we going to find when you crack cover and what makes it so special?

Paul Snatchko: Well, Chris, for any of your readers – I’m sorry your listeners who have not ever had a chance of hold a Magnificat in their hands…

Chris Cash: We do have readers, because – we do have readers too because we do weekly transcripts of our show. So, those of you who don’t want to listen, you can read it.

Paul Snatchko: Oh. Well, for your readers and listeners who may have never held a Magnificat in their hands, Magnificat is a pocket sized prayer booklet and to worship God. It is beautifully produced. Sometimes we use the work the *** [02:25], but we try to be humble about it. It is a pocket sized prayer book that is found without any staples in it, with a beautiful glossy cover. It’s always known for its beautiful covers with beautiful art on the front.

And inside, is something for everyday in a month, it’s a monthly publication. And everyday contains prayer for the morning, daily mass readings, prayer for the evening, a daily meditation. And all the weekdays have essays on the lives of the Saints; we call it a Saints of Today and Yesterday. It also contains wonderful spiritual writings from our editors and special contributors. And one of the features people love is a great deal is art commentary, a commentary on sacred art in the back of every edition.

Chris Cash: Now, how does somebody go about using Magnificat?

Paul Snatchko: Well, you know there is no rule about how to use it in the course of your day. Even some people don’t follow it quite the way it’s laid out, but I’d say most readers read it as they are going through the day. So, in the morning, they will pray the prayer for the morning. You know at some point, in the course of the day they’ll read the daily mass reading ‘cause – and maybe though you know many people that use it at daily mass. And then of course in the evening, people you know often use the evening prayer. At some point of it, they’ll read the Saint essay. Then also in the beginning of every Magnificat is also a simple, My Prayer. That can be used for every night before you go to bed. So, it’s really great if you – and very effective if you get into a daily prayer routine in your life.

Chris Cash: It sounds like it would be a just a real, good, easy way, especially if you’re not say interested in doing the liturgy in the hours or something like that, but maybe something simpler, a little more *** [04:23].

Paul Snatchko: Well, our prayer for the morning and prayer for the evening is inspired by liturgy of the hours. It’s not the same, it’s not a copy, but it is certainly inspired by it. And are – we’re very proud of our prayer for the morning and prayer for the evening. We think its something that makes Magnificat unique and special. Its – and that prayer for the morning and prayer for the evening is edited and complied by Benedictine Sister, the nun, Sister Genevieve Glen who is from Abbey of Saint Walburga, Colorado. She is a cloistered nun and one of the thing that she does is part of her life is to give the morning and evening prayer for Magnificat, and to be inspired by the Liturgy of the Hours to compile for us. I’m very proud of that, she is a hymn writer, is part of her ministry as well, so we’re very blessed to have her as part of our team.

Chris Cash: Now, where does – do the other writings come from? Do you have authors all over the country who contribute portions of this or is a majority of it done by one person? How is it put together?

Paul Snatchko: Well, Magnificat is edited by Father Peter John Cameron, who is a Dominican of the Province of St. Joseph on the East Coast of United States. And so, he is the person who is in charge of all the editorial side of everything in the Magnificat. And he selects all the meditations for each day and he makes sure that we are – everything is good and it’s very blessed for all our readers.

We also have – we have – then we do have contributors who are in other parts of the country and some are in other parts of the world who contribute the essays and PR commentary for instance is always done by a contributor. And so, it is team effort to compile it together.

Chris Cash: Well, and especially when you have such a large volume that comes out every single month. You’re going to have a lot of people behind such an immense labor of love.

Paul Snatchko: Yes, yes. And we are very proud not to take away too much business side of things, so, but you know we’ve been very, very blessed. And Magnificat is now read by I’d say you know 2, 30,000 people a month that’s for English edition and then, we also have a Spanish edition. And we’ve been very, very blessed by only 11 years to get that level of circulation and we hope for certainly meeting a need in the lives of our readers.

Chris Cash: Well and when you say that’s your circulation, then by no means, limits that’s to the number of readers just to that’s, because you know often husband and wife like.

Paul Snatchko: Oh, sure that’s number of copies, so share – people are probably sharing in their homes and it might be more.

Chris Cash: Or copies that are left in the Adoration Chapels or church or different places for prayer and meditation. I mean, there is any number of different places where you can probably find the copy of Magnificat and pick one up, even if you’re not a subscriber.

Paul Snatchko: Certainly.

Chris Cash: So, tell us about the history of Magnificat? Where did the whole idea come from? How did it get started?

Paul Snatchko: Sure. Magnificat was founded by a gentlemen named Pierre-Marie Dumont who is our publisher. And he actually is based in Paris, France, he is a layman. And he is a – you know publisher and part of the French Publishing company there in France. And he was inspired Pope John Paul II and John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization and the call for lay people to be more active in their daily prayer lives. And to take better – more better part in the daily – of daily mass. And inspired by that Magnificat was founded in France in 1992, so that is the first edition of Magnificat was *printed* [08:27] in French, so it is today. And but then there was also a German edition as well, so it’s now actually available at four languages worldwide. And then, of course it was bought in United States in 1998.

We are a publishing company, we are not affiliated with any religious order or officially, it was officially you know with any rules or although we can have. Benedictine and Dominicans who are part of our editing team, but we’re a publishing company and *** [08:57] people and we hope we’re doing our best to bring word of God to life.

Chris Cash: Now, Magnificat also does some other publications as well. You want to tell us about the other things that Magnificat publishes?

Paul Snatchko: Sure, Chris. One of the ways that many people first read Magnificat to learn about it is through our companions that we publish our special issues that we publish for Advent and Lent. That are very, very widely read and distributed in parishes for those special scenes that were of the *** [09:29] year. And our Advent and Lenten companions have – they are mostly known for the originally commissioned reflections that we have on each day’s gospel, for each day and those scenes. And many people then after having you know read one of our Lents and our Advent companions then become subscribers to our regular monthly magazine. And we’re very happy that’s the way that *people* [09:53] get to know our publication. And so, the Lenten and the Advent companions are part of our family of publications.

We also have a rosary companion that is very widely read and explained. And *** [10:08] part we’ve also in the last few years extended two books and our first book was called Benedict’s and it is day-by-day book. The writings of the Benedict before he became Pope. And it used to be gifts for many people; it’s a great way to sort of learn about the writings of the Holy Father, you know prior to him becoming the Pope of the church. In understanding of his thinking and his spirituality.

From there, we also have a book Year of the Apostle Paul Home and the *** [10:42] birth, I’m sorry Bible *** [10:45] birth has been very popular. There is a book called Praying with Saint Paul and it’s a day-by-day book of reflection, it’s on the Paul and the letters. And about 90,000 copies of that has already been – have been purchased and are being read by Catholics of United States. In order to delve more were deeply into the writings of the Great Apostle this year.

We have published this year; we published a book called The Seven Last Words of Jesus, which was meditation on Seven Last Words of Christ and the cross. And it was very well received, we have a very *** [11:21] now the second printing and that was by Father Romanus Cessario, a Dominican who is our senior editor. And let us look for the sample of our books. I should say we also one called the Wonders of the Lourdes, we published last year for the 150th Anniversary of the Apparitions, Marian Lourdes *** [11:39]. So, we’re very happy about our ability to do that and our current ability to make those contributions to the Catholic Community as well.

And then, Chris I don’t know if you’re familiar with that we also had a publication called Magnifikid. Have you seen it?

Chris Cash: Oh, yes, I’ve got one sitting on my kitchen counter down stairs right now. It came in the mail just today.

Paul Snatchko: Okay. Well, Magnifikid is a Sunday edition out for children. And it comes in the packet once a month, and in the packet is although Sunday edition at for each Sunday for children to take with them to mass or the parents use for preparation for mass. And it’s an actual mass guide with Liturgy of the Lord and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, specifically for that week. And it’s a great way for children to find this colorful, and it’s a great way for kids to learn into the word of God, learn about some liturgical year and *** [12:32] of our year. And it’s used in many top schools and it’s used in many, many village education programs by the teachers. And *** [12:42] said to teach the children about mass and they can learn into a better understanding of why I am here at the church every Sunday. And Magnifikid is read by about 38,000 children or these 38,000 copies given to homes every, every month. So, we are very proud of – and very – we’ve been very blessed by that as well.

Chris Cash: Well, that one I would trust circulation number, because trust me when I’ve got something like that for my kids, I have to have a separate one for every single child or else there is going to be trouble. And that’s – and they are all have the same.

Paul Snatchko: Chris, I had to tell you, I’ve been very blessed. I am now in my third year with them. We’ve been two years now here at Magnificat, and it’s a great job working for such a great company. I joke a little bit that and certain times like I’m Gods PR guy. You know I can get to spend my days promoting a product that’s all about prayer and spirituality, and how blessed am I that I’m able to do that. I go to conferences around the country for Magnificat and I represent the company exhibiting at expeditions and conferences. And it’s such a blessed to hear people’s stories as they come to the conferences and tell me what Magnificat has done to them. You know it’s probably used by people who have become Catholic’s and it’s also given as a gift to new Catholics who have gone to *** [14:05] programs and they can get to learn more about the mass and the spiritual life of the Catholic.

Its always funny, I even have Bishops come up to me and say to me you know they have the same mass everyday, and say to me you know you’re the only thing I take with me on vacation. You know that they take us with themself, so they continue their mass while they’re on vacation, so easily they carry. People who have you know – I just love the stories from folks who maybe they’ve read something they want meditation of the day that will help them or something that they’ve been dealing with. Lots of people you know find it very people when they are dealing with sickness, illness as a way to focus their prayer lives and to you know kind of come to peace with God for critical times in their lives.

You know we’re read by troops in Iraq. Magnificat fits very well to their pack. As they are getting along *** [15:02] troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’ve had wonderful feedback from them and letters of thanks from them saying thank you for providing those to us, it’s very easy for them to use when we’re on road. So, we’ve just been very, very blessed and *** [15:17] the Holy Spirit is with us everyday what we are doing it. And I just we pray that you know and the Holy Spirit stays with us, keeps us on the right path as we move forward.

Chris Cash: And you know I am in a similar to you Paul, I feel very blessed to be Gods PR guys and help me to get the words out about awesome products like this everyday. I don’t focus on one like one or a small group like you do, but I certainly do love getting the word out about all the multitude that we work with over Catholic Company. We’re going to take a short break to hear from our sponsor, but when we be – when we come back in a just a minute, we’ll be speaking more with Paul Snatchko about Magnificat and Magnifikid. This is the Catholic Spotlight.

[Break]

Chris Cash: And we are back on the Catholic Spotlight, we are talking with Paul Snatchko about Magnificat, Magnifikid and all the other wonderful publications that come out of the Magnificat Company.

Paul Snatchko: Hey, Chris, before we continue I kind of tell a little story.

Chris Cash: Absolutely, go for it man.

Paul Snatchko: Well, it’s actually about you.

Chris Cash: No, no.

Paul Snatchko: I know. Well, I don’t know how many of your listeners know this…

Chris Cash: Probably none.

Paul Snatchko: *** [16:59] tell them how – well that you and I actually first met when we were college students in a Catholic student organization. And I and you *** [17:08] these great conferences that we had every year in Catholic Campus Ministry. And how you were one of the people who walk around the conferences and hand out stickers to people saying I am loved. And you were always a great part of those events and you were known as Crispy, you were Crispy Cash. And it was quite a pleasure to reconnect with you through our con *** [17:27].

Chris Cash: Well, you know I was thrilled.

Paul Snatchko: Catholic Company is I think they are very blessed to have you as well part of their team.

Chris Cash: Well, thanks, you’ll have to tell my boss. That’s – but you know it was quite a thrill to reconnect with you as well. And we reconnected back about a year ago at Catholic Education concerts. And so, it’s always fun to run into old friends as well as make new connections here you know. Paul has also recently started a – as blog, a review, you want to give people your Website addresses?

Paul Snatchko: Well, this is me personally, not on my position as marketing manager for Magnificat. But I’ll just wait and let the first review appear and people can see it on their Website.

Chris Cash: This is true.

Paul Snatchko: Sort of me – this is sort of me in a personal capacity. But you know it has been interesting, I am currently reading Lucy Beckett’s book, the postcard from the Volcano. And it’s published by Ignatius Press. And it’s been a great read and I am looking forward to putting my thoughts together on it.

Chris Cash: And of course, Paul has helped us and provide us generously with many copies of Magnificat for the reviewers to read and post their thoughts on. You can find those reviewers thoughts over our Twitter feed on Twitter/Catholic Company, where you can find pretty much all of our reviews posted over there now, as they are written. So, hopefully within – well, I mean, this interview is supposed to post first couple of weeks of June, so hopefully at that point there will be several Magnificat reviews already written. And you will not just be able to take our word for it about what a great publication Magnificat is, but you will be able to hear from many, many of our reviewers about their thoughts and opinions on what a great product it is. And of course, there will be *** you know who didn’t like it, but hey they are always.

Paul Snatchko: And Chris, can I talk – I want you to know this, this summer we are running a special promotion and in the back of every copy of Magnificat, this tells you why we have some sheets, some tear out pages where people can mail us back in the needs and addresses of friends, family members, colleagues who they think will like to receive their free sample copy of Magnificat. And so, this summer we’re hoping to send out 100’s of 100’s of free sample copies to people who have maybe never seen it before, never held it in their hands. And we’re really looking forward to that. And so, if any of your readers or listeners are interested, they should just you know give us a call at the 800 number – our 800 number. Chris, if it’s okay if I give that out?

Chris Cash: Oh, absolutely, go ahead.

Paul Snatchko: Our 800 number is 866– 273-5215. And if people call that number and request the same copy, we’ll be happy to send it out. Or they can e-mail us at magnificat@magnificat.com and we’ll be happy to send them a one time free sample copy, so that you can see it and experience it. And our Website – if you just want to get a background of what it’ll be like sample pages of Magnificat, you can do that at magnificat.com.

Chris Cash: Now…

Paul Snatchko: And of course, also you can also get your subscription through the Catholic Company of course as well.

Chris Cash: Well, thank you, we appreciate that and *** [21:05] for us. It is one of our most popular books that we sell at the Catholic Company, so we certainly love to talk about it and help get the word out about it, wherever way you choose to buy it. We also have great baptism gifts too.

Now, if somebody is listening to this in say September, October this year or even next year, what are your regular programs like – is there likelihood that this send out free copy to a friend program will continue on at some point in the future or if somebody want…?

Paul Snatchko: Yes, we’re happy to always do that Chris, we are happy to always do that.

Chris Cash: There you go. So, in the meantime you’re listening…

Paul Snatchko: *** [21:48] naturally made me think. We really think that’s been the key to our circulation has been people share with others and we give out free copies to people and they can see how one helps, how effective it is as a prayer tool and then they try.

Chris Cash: Maybe you should consider yourself Gods crack dealer. Here try a copy of this Magnificat, you’ll like it.

Paul Snatchko: You’re not the first person to make that observation. Hey, it’s good marketing so.

Chris Cash: Hey, it works and you know you can’t feel bad about getting a – something that is full of spirit and live in front of somebody. You know there is never anything wrong with that if they decide they have to come back for more next month, then well all the better that they have continued on their spiritual journey. And then it’s a useful tool in helping them to go on that spiritual journey. So, Kudos to you, Kudos to Magnificat for all the work that you have done continuously over the past 11 years and going on into the future. You know hopefully by the time some people listen to this, it will be 20 years old, right?

Paul Snatchko: Absolutely.

Chris Cash: Any final comments to our listeners before we finish up today?

Paul Snatchko: Well, just that let them know that we are praying for them. And we pray that they’re growing in their spiritual eyes, they are growing closer to God, its Christ each day. And we’re asking for their prayers. And we ask them please pray for us, please always remember our *** [23:31] in their prayer lives as well. Chris, I like you know to know that we are praying for you and your family and your wonderful wife Becky and your kids. And we’re certainly praying for everyone’s Catholic Company that you have – that you got have blessed you very abundantly and the things go very well for you.

Chris Cash: Well, thank you Paul. And of course, I don’t know how many people know but at the Catholic Company, we also have daily prayer time where we pray for the intentions of our families, our vendors and all of our customers every single day. So, we certainly appreciate any prayers from you listeners out there coming our way, you know that it is definitely reciprocated. So, Paul, thank you, thank you so much coming on this show and sharing with us about Magnificat. Anybody out here, there who is on the fence be sure to go on over and read some of those reviews and choose – you know even if its just calling up Magnificat and asking for that single sample copy. Choose to check it out, pray it for one month and see it if it doesn’t drastically change your life. If it doesn’t, well, you are not out of anything right? But if it does, the rewards are eternal and we know that. So, thank you so much Paul and God Bless you.

Paul Snatchko: Thank you, Chris.

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Transcript of Interview with Paul Snatchko about Magnificat Magazine. This interview and others like it can be found at http://www.catholicspotlight.com

Listen Now to the audio version of the show.

Magnificat Magazine at The Catholic Company.

http://www.catholiccompany.com/magnificat-magazine-subscription-1-year-p2005908/