About Us

Catholic Voice aims to provide a selection of news, views, reviews, feature stories and pictures of life in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn in particular and the Catholic Church in general.

The printed version of the newspaper is published free on the first weekend of each month; 20,000 copies are circulated through Catholic churches, schools, hospitals and bookshops in the Archdiocese, as well as to subscribers nationally and internationally.

To contribute an article, offer an idea, advertise or subscribe, please contact Catholic Voice:

Office Address:

55 Franklin St
Forrest, ACT 2603, Australia

GPO Box 3089, Canberra ACT 2601
(T) 02 6239 98

 

History

Catholic publishing in the area extends back well into the 19th century.  A short-lived venture began in Goulburn in the 1870s when Bishop Lanigan had a close link with The Goulburn Argus, which published much of Catholic and Irish interest. A monthly periodical, Our Cathedral Chimes began circulation in Goulburn parish in May 1933. It expanded around the diocese in 1946 but folded in 1958.

In the parish of Canberra, Fr Haydon produced a monthly newsletter, The Angelus, in 1923-24, from 1927-1940 and briefly in 1952-53. A similar monthly, The Sanctuary, was circulated in suburban Canberra in the 1960s but it too lapsed. A concerted effort to produce a quality newspaper was initiated in the lead up to the Archdiocesan Synod in 1989 and resulted in the establishment of Catholic Voice. In doing so, the Archdiocese became a pioneer in the highly successful concept of free, wide distribution newspapers.

Since it was launched in 1988 by Archbishop Francis Carroll, Catholic Voice has regularly won major awards for excellence from the Australasian Catholic Press Association as well as the prestigious Gutenberg Award for excellence from the ecumenical Australasian Religious Press Association, under its successive editors Ray Frawley (1988-1994) and Geoff Orchison (1994-2014).

* From Our Story: Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, 2003.

Awards

  • 1995: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Bishop Philip Kennedy Memorial Award for Best Newspaper
  • 1995: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Best Design and Layout – Newspapers
  • 2004: Australasian Religious Press Association – Best Regional Publication
  • 1996: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Best Front Page – Newspaper
  • 1998: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Best Website for a Publication
  • 1999: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Best Website
  • 2003: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Best Example of Education Coverage
  • 2004: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Best Newspaper Front Page
  • 2004: Australasian Religious Press Association – Best Original Photograph
  • 2004: Australasian Religious Press Association – Highly Commended – Best Layout (Newspaper)
  • 2004: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Highly Commended – Best Ecumenical/Interfaith Story
  • 2004: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Highly Commended – Best Website for a Publication
  • 2004: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Highly Commended – Best Newspaper Layout and Design
  • 2007: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Best Newspaper Front Page
  • 2007: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Highly Commended – Best Original Photograph
  • 2008: Australasian Religious Press Association – Highly Commended – Best website having religious connotations by an APRA member
  • 2008: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Highly Commended – Best Editorial Feature – Newspaper or Magazine
  • 2009: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Bishop Philip Kennedy Memorial Prize for Newspapers
  • 2015: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Best Newspaper
  • 2015: Australasian Catholic Press Association – Highly Commended – Best Newspaper Layout and Design