CHRISTOPHERS NAME DENNIS HEANEY PRESIDENT

Catholic Press Association president, Dennis Heaney, has been appointed President of The Christophers, a Manhattan based nonprofit media organization.

NEW YORK, Feb.19, 2003 -- Dennis W. Heaney, executive publisher of The Tidings and Vida Nueva, Los Angeles archdiocesan newspapers, has been named president of The Christophers. The first lay person to head the New York-based media organization on a permanent basis, he will begin his duties May 1.

Heaney, current president of the Catholic Press Association, succeeds Gerald M. Costello, a Christophers board member who headed the search for a new leader and who will continue as interim president until May. Costello retired several years ago as editor-in-chief of Catholic New York, the New York archdiocesan newspaper.

Heaneys appointment was announced by John F. Flaherty, chairman of the board of The Christophers, who also said that the organization expects to name a priest to the position of director later this year. The director will continue to be responsible for bringing The Christophers message to the public through television interviews, newspaper columns, speaking engagements and as spiritual and pastoral leader of the organization. Heaney will be responsible for the overall operations of the organization, including fund-raising, business and financial activities, personnel and long-range planning. In addition, he will serve as The Christophers chief executive officer.

As our search went on," Flaherty said, it became clear that we would not be able to locate a priest to assume the traditional functions of our director, one who would be able to handle both the public duties as well as the administrative and business details required to operate the organization. This was especially so in the current economic climate that has presented challenges to all charitable nonprofit organizations. We felt we should refocus our search and look for a strong, full-time chief executive officer.

We feel that in Dennis Heaney we have someone with a wealth of business experience, almost all of it in the Catholic communications field. Thats a great combination from our standpoint. The board is confident that we have the right man for the job."

Before joining the Los Angeles Archdiocese five years ago as chief executive officer of its publishing operations, both English- and Spanish-language, Heaney held a similar position for 18 years in the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese. There he was associate publisher of The Catholic Bulletin, as the archdiocesan newspaper was then known. It was later renamed The Catholic Spirit. Earlier he served as development director for St. Marys Hospital in Minneapolis.
Last year Catholic Press Association members voted him winner of the St. Francis de Sales Award, the organizations highest honor, for his contributions to the Catholic press. In addition to his other association duties he has served on a consultation team for member publications, specializing in business matters.
Ive long admired The Christophers and the message it stands for," Heaney said. The prospect of following such an honored tradition is exciting, and Im anxious to get going."

Maryknoll Father James Keller founded The Christophers in 1945 to advance the theme that every individual can make a positive difference in the world. The organization has used the printed word and broadcast media (and, more recently, the Internet) to promote its message. Its motto is Its better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." Each year the Christopher Awards honor those films, television programs and books that affirm the highest values of the human spirit."

Father Keller (who served from 1945 to 1969) and Father John Catoir (1978-1995) are the longest-serving of the organizations six priest-directors. Another former director, Msgr. James Lisante, has continued to host the Christopher Closeup" television program and to write the Christopher newspaper column, Light One Candle," while the search for a new director has gone on.
Heaney is married with five adult children and 10 grandchildren. He and his wife, Margo, will move to New York from their present home in Pasadena, Calif.

# # #

[Note to Editor: A color .JPEG photo of Mr. Heaney is available via e-mail. Please request using either contact listed. ]