Two major changes have been made to the English version of the missalette, with it now coming in a single size with a new look.
Living With Christ will now be printed only in the larger version after years of coming in two different sizes. It will now come in a 14 by 18 cm size.
“It’s more efficient from a production and print perspective, and that will ultimately serve the readers because it will help keep print costs down,” said Catherine Mulroney, Living With Christ editor.
Living With Christ has been around in one form or another in Canada since 1936, in English and French. Both are published by Novalis.
The missalette is meant to be read in advance of Mass, to help readers better prepare and reflect on the stories and terminology, and to get ready to “embrace the message of the homily,” said Mulroney.
The monthly missalette “offers readers all the readings and all the prayers that they need to participate in Mass,” she said.
“(Readers) are getting used to the larger size (and it) might be a little tougher to put in your pocket,” but many readers prefer the larger font, said Mulroney.
The larger size will also have a new face. The artwork on the missalette’s cover will now be replaced with photographs.
The art “was beautiful, it was inspiring, but it didn’t necessarily speak to the Canadian Church experience,” said Mulroney.
“For example, on our first new look edition in January, we had a picture of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Quebec City, which is one of the oldest churches in the country, one of the oldest churches in North America, and we’re celebrating that.”
She hopes that these changes will freshen up the look of the Canadian Living With Christ, while helping it be more recognizable as the sister edition of other international versions.
“Feedback has been pretty supportive,” said Mulroney. “People like the new look. They’re happy. In the time I’ve been here, what really struck me is that Living With Christ readers know their product well.
They know the Mass very well and they’re passionate about it. So any time you make a change, you hear from people and I’m happy to say that people love the new look and find it very useful.”
Readers will also find changes with www.livingwithchrist.ca. The web site now contains a link to LicenSing, where people can purchase church music.
When it comes to the web site, she said, “we’ve been very careful to listen to our users in terms of what they look for.” Prayers of the faithful remain popular online, as do the bulletin board and community news items, and so “we ensured we kept those because while we want to update and modernize, we don’t in any way want to take away features that really matter to people,” she said.