Founder of missionary news agency resigns, citing lack of support

Published: 2004-09-17

ROME (CNS) -- Comboni Father Giulio Albanese resigned as head of the Rome-based missionary news service, MISNA, after six and a half years at the helm. Starting out with a modest $4,000 investment, a phone line and a computer, the Italian-born missionary nurtured MISNA into an authoritative and sought-after Web-based news source that today receives some 14 million hits a month. But to maintain that success, Father Albanese said MISNA needs greater funding. "A news agency can't remain static; it either has to grow or die," he told Catholic News Service by phone Sept. 16. He made public his resignation Sept. 6 after failing to convince his superiors "to believe in my vision and my challenge" to make MISNA grow professionally and widen its exposure, he said. "People should invest in something that works," said Father Albanese.

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