In anticipation of Commonweal’s centennial anniversary, the New York Times profiled the magazine in the October 29th print edition of the paper. The article highlighted a few of the more immediate questions facing Commonweal as it enters its second century, namely a moment of religious and political uncertainty. Journalist Jennifer Schuessler, who covers intellectual life for the paper’s “Arts” section, asked:  “What does it mean to be a leading intellectual voice of liberal Roman Catholicism at a moment of continuing loss of faith in both the church and liberalism?” Commonweal editor Dominic Preziosi answered, “We are a small voice among many voices. But I think we do give voice to a certain kind of person who yearns for a Catholicism that recognizes the complexity of many issues, who knows they can’t be reduced to simple slogans or devotional pieties.”

The profile, which described Commonweal as “a stalwart defender of a liberal Catholic intellectual tradition,” also featured remarks from Commonweal staff and contributors, including Samuel Moyn (“Commonweal stands for the common sense of American Catholics in the laity.”) and Dorothy Fortenberry (“At its best, the magazine can create space for ideas to bounce around.”). 

It also chronicled seminal moments in Commonweal’s 100-year history and highlighted a number of  distinctly Commonweal flourishes. Among them are the staff’s long standing tradition of eating lunch together, the magazine’s tight quarters in the Interchurch Center, more familiarly known as the “God Box,” and the extensive collection of Commonweal memorabilia that decorate it.  

To read the feature, click here. To read  “Commonweal at 100,” an editorial that expands on many of the same questions posited in the Times, click here.