Spanish Newspaper Founder Seeks Support

By GRETCHEN KEISER, Staff Writer

Published: September 11, 2003

DULUTH—The newspaper, Siglo Católico, started by a Colombian journalist and operated out of his Duluth home, needs to expand its base of support in order to continue.

Jose Vicente Paris, 42, assisted by his wife Deborah, their three children, and one staff member, Alvaro Amaya, has been producing the Spanish-language newspaper since December 2000. With some exceptions, the paper has been published twice a month.

While the newspaper has expanded in circulation and page count, Paris needs more advertisers to sustain it. The paper is distributed at about three-fifths of the Catholic churches in the archdiocese where Mass is celebrated in Spanish and through a distribution network of area businesses.

Trained in Colombia in journalism, Paris had 20 years of experience, he said, including serving as editor of Poder 86, which covered politics.

When he came to Atlanta in 1987, he started a newspaper called La Prensa, with the assistance of Father Jorge Christancho, during the tenure of Archbishop Eugene A. Marino, SSJ, with whom he had two published interviews.

“He was very much in favor of ‘La Prensa,” said Paris, who remembers the extraordinary charisma and warmth of the late archbishop.

“He transmitted to people so many things with his smile,” Paris recalled.

“La Prensa” was closed for personal reasons, Paris said, as he faced illness and had to undergo open-heart surgery.

“As he started to get better and we watched the Hispanic community grow here, he saw it as an opportunity to fulfill the mission the pope has asked of all of us—to evangelize,” Mrs. Paris said, fluidly translating her husband’s narrative as they sat in the lower level of their home where the paper is produced. It is printed at a plant in Macon.

Since they started Siglo Católico, they have been encouraged by the support they received from Archbishop John F. Donoghue and by the response of the public, they said.

“The newspaper has been just an incredible experience,” Paris said. “The people care about it. They want it.”

However, the archbishop’s encouragement is the greatest factor in their survival to date, he said.

“The most important thing is the support, the trust and the love the archbishop has shared with us. Without the archbishop, none of this would have been possible.”

Although the newspaper is an independent venture, Archbishop Donoghue is listed as the director.

“He provides spiritual support. He has provided a hand with economic support,” Paris said.

Through June 2003, they were producing 20,000 copies of the paper twice a month, 5,000 of which are distributed at Catholic churches and 15,000 of which are placed at 506 points of distribution in metropolitan Atlanta and in other cities, including Dalton, Athens and Gainesville.

“At this time, we are working to be able to have the newspaper grow,” he said.

The paper did not come out in July and Paris acknowledges that “the economic situation for the newspaper has been a little bit difficult.”

“When we started, the newspaper took off. The costs of running and publishing a newspaper are not small,” he said, explaining that they are now taking advertising in order to sustain what began as a non-commercial enterprise. Amaya has joined the staff to sell ads.

Paris’s goal is “before we get to the end of this year—if God wishes—to have the newspaper have enough financial backing to do what it needs to do.”

What that would entail, he said, is enough backing to produce 40,000 copies of each issue. That circulation, he believes, would enable them to place copies at all of the 54 churches that have Spanish Masses and to increase the number of copies placed there. Right now only 32 churches receive copies and then only a small number each, he said. He would like to distribute 15,000 copies in churches. He and his family are among those distributing the paper at churches.

Then he thinks a distribution network of 800 to 900 commercial locations would improve the financial situation for the paper. That would require 10,000 more copies than the 15,000 he already dedicates to that avenue. He is confident the paper is “very well received,” because only a few are left when they go to pick up returns.

The first issue in December 2000 was 12 pages, and 1,500 copies were printed. The second issue had a 3,000-copy press run, and by the seventh issue, 12,000 copies were being printed, Paris said. The paper is now 24 pages.

He has made some content adjustments, shortening articles, focusing more on evangelization and adding an apologetics section, which “really identifies the newspaper.”

“We are Catholic. I use it to defend our faith,” he said.

Using material from the Vatican and Web sites that are doctrinally sound, he writes most of the articles himself and also does the photography and the layout using desktop publishing.

There are two sections to the paper, one religious and the other covering health, lifestyles, sports, culture, children, and world and national news. A page is devoted to publishing all the Masses celebrated in Spanish in the archdiocese.

Members of St. Benedict Church, Duluth, he said they have received unqualified support from non-Hispanic pastors.

“They always say, ‘Thank you. We really appreciate what you are doing,’” Paris said, adding “we cover every event they let us know about.”

As a foundation for his work as a journalist, he can draw upon his seminary study, for he first considered becoming a priest before he concluded that his interest in learning was drawing him to another vocation.

He feels profoundly called to do this work with the newspaper, which emerged from his experience of illness and his recovery.

“This was a burning desire. I really had to do it,” he said, adding, “We walk by faith.”

Hispanics, who are facing many challenges in the American economy and culture, have a difficult time defending their Catholic faith against those who proselytize them, Paris said. “They really don’t know how to fight for what they believe in.”

For this reason, he is zealous in writing about the Catholic faith and about the difference between the Catholic Church and sects, pointing out the church’s apostolic foundation, the universality of the church and the call to holiness.

“The base, the foundation of my belief in the church is that the church of Jesus is holy because her founder was holy . . . The church calls us to be holy,” he said.

He admires Father Christancho, whom he saw ministering to newly arrived immigrants in the middle of the night as people waited in line to receive first consideration for amnesty when it was offered by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The Catholic Church was the only church there for immigrants at that difficult hour, he said. He also saw the priest at work in the Grant Park neighborhood, establishing a Catholic mission.

As he works on Siglo Católico, he feels there is so much to do and his effort is small in comparison.

“The Hispanic community has great needs,” he said.

He is also convinced with a little help, the paper could do a great deal more. At one time, Paris said, they ran free classified ads to help the Hispanic community but had to discontinue it because “we didn’t have anyone here all day answering the phone to take down the information.”

With one more journalist on the staff, he said, “the newspaper would be sensational. It would just take off. Nothing would stop it.”

He is looking for advertisers and for those who could become involved in other ways, including Catholic youth groups.

“If they want to write articles, if they have pictures of events, I really want them to become a part of this. I think it would be an incredible experience,” Paris said.

There have been moments already when he believes the paper would have folded without providential help.

On one occasion, the printing company unexpectedly extended them a line of credit to publish.

“We had $32,000 on the line of credit. Within a month, the money came in,” Paris said.

When each issue comes out, he forgets the difficulties involved and begins the next with great anticipation and hope.

“What I do is much, but I feel like it is so very little,” he concluded. “It is a work of faith.”

To contact Siglo Católico, call (770) 558-6897.