The Marist Messenger has closed down

It is with great sadness that we write to inform our readers that the Marist Messenger is closing. The decision has been taken by the Society of Mary that the March issue is the last Marist Messenger. There are many reasons for the decision to close, especially the increasing cost of production, particularly postage; the difficulty in finding a new editor for the magazine and the decrease in subscriber numbers which has made the magazine financially unviable. Print magazines here in New Zealand and the world over have been facing similar challenges and many have closed. Sadly, the Messenger will join the rank of these casualties.

We understand that this news is difficult to hear and that many will be saddened by the demise of such a long-lived and popular magazine.

We give thanks for the 94 years of publication and the immense good that the magazine has done over these years. We are grateful for the support of you, all our readers over the years, for your interest and the letters of encouragement and even correction you have sent us. God bless all of you.

We cannot let this moment pass without acknowledging the people who have contributed to the magazine with their articles. They have enriched and challenged us. We are better people for the words they have given us. We also remember the staff, who over the years have enabled the Marist Messenger to arrive in our homes. We are grateful to all those who worked on layout, design, proofreading, and printing of the magazine.

We especially wish to thank Joanne Oliver, who has been secretary of the Messenger for over 25 years. She has been the cheerful voice who answered the phone and solved our problems. Thank you, Joanne!

Remaining Subscriptions

We understand that many of you have paid subscriptions that still have time to run. We are happy to refund this unused portion, should you require a refund.

To receive a refund, please send us the following details:

Your full name
Subscriber number (if known - found on your address label, or on your last invoice)
Address
Your Bank Account Name
Your Bank Account Number

Mail these details to:

Marist Messenger,
78 Hobson Street,
Thorndon,
Wellington 6011,

Send an email to: secretary@maristmessenger.co.nz

NB Your Refund Request should be with us no later than 30 July.

Once again, can we say how sorry and sad we are that we’ve had to take this action. We pray that God will continue to bless you all.

The Marist Messenger Board on behalf of the Society of Mary, New Zealand.