HarperCollins Christian Publishing announces launch of Harper Catholic

HarperCollins Christian Publishing (HCCP) announced Aug. 10 the launch of Harper Catholic, a new imprint serving Catholic readers, authors, booksellers, parishes, and organizations.

The new branch of HCCP will be led by associate publisher Kristi McDonald, who has over 15 years of experience in Catholic publishing, spending 14 years at Ave Maria Press.

McDonald told EWTN News in an interview that Harper Catholic comes at a time where the company recognizes “the unique spiritual needs of Catholics and the tremendous opportunity to serve a Church that is growing and changing in the United States and around the world.”

“We’re seeing new converts coming into the Church, Catholics rediscovering their faith, and readers at every stage looking for resources that can help them go deeper,” she said. “That inspires us to publish books that feed that spiritual hunger, answer meaningful questions, and accompany people in the ordinary realities of Catholic life.”

The creation of Harper Catholic also comes after the success seen in Catholic Bible Press, which is HCCP’s first Catholic imprint and publishes editions of the Bible such as the New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition and the New American Bible, Revised Edition.

“Harper Catholic is also a natural next step in the work HarperCollins Christian Publishing has already been doing in the Catholic market. Catholic Bible Press has experienced rapid growth and success over the past six years, demonstrating both the need for excellent Catholic resources and the opportunity for HCCP to serve this audience with care and purpose,” McDonald explained.

She added: “Harper Catholic builds on that strong foundation by expanding our Catholic publishing program beyond Bibles and represents our continued investment in serving Catholic readers, authors, parishes, booksellers, and institutions.”

Harper Catholic aims to expand HCCP’s Catholic publishing beyond Bibles and into spiritual classics, theology, devotionals, memoirs, cultural engagement, and books from leading voices in the Church today.

“We plan to publish a broad range of accessible, faithful, relevant, and intellectually substantial books for Catholics across generations and stages of spiritual life,” McDonald shared.

“The goal is to reflect something of the richness and breadth of Catholicism itself while remaining attentive to the real questions and spiritual longings people are bringing to their faith today.”

McDonald said the publication’s primary goal “is to share the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith with the world through powerful writing and authentic, trustworthy voices.”

“We want Harper Catholic to become a publishing home where established and emerging Catholic authors can bring faithful, compelling ideas to readers, and where Catholics know they can find books that help them grow closer to God, live the sacramental life more fully, and encounter Christ in the ordinary rhythms of their days,” she said.

In terms of HCCP’s perspective, McDonald said, “this is a long-term commitment.”

“The success of Catholic Bible Press has given us a strong foundation and shown us what is possible when we serve Catholic readers with excellence and intentionality,” she said. “Harper Catholic allows us to build on that success, broaden the ways we serve the Church, and continue investing in Catholic publishing for years to come.”

The imprint is actively accepting proposals from authors and agents and will announce its first acquisitions and publishing plans in the coming months.