March 11: On the Square

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is March 11th, and our story is On the Square. Writing in Newsweek, papal biographer George Weigel called First Things the most important vehicle for exploring the tangled web of religion and society in the English-speaking world.

Launched on March 11, 1990, the journal was the brainchild of then-Lutheran priest, soon-to-be-Catholic, Father Richard John Newhouse. For over 30 years, Newhouse stood at the intersection of religion and public life, first as a civil rights activist and co-founder of clergy and laymen concerned about Vietnam, and later as a staunch opponent of abortion.

Over time, he became a leading intellectual of the neoconservative movement. To foster dialogue among faith traditions and build constructive coalitions, he founded the Institute on Religion and Public Life in 1990 and began publishing First Things, with a mission of creating a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society.

Early contributors included Ambassador Marianne Glendon, historian Robert Louis Wilkin, and ethicist Gilbert Maylander. Catholics have long predominated in the journal, and Newhouse himself entered the Catholic Church six months after launching it, being ordained a priest the following year. He died of cancer in 2009, but the journal continues to shape discussion among committed, intellectually minded Christians in America.

Newhouse's life shows that the Church is not only a source of personal salvation, but also a force for shaping a moral and just society. By fostering dialogue across traditions while remaining grounded in orthodoxy, he modeled how Christians can actively participate in public discourse without sacrificing the principles of their faith. Consider how your own expertise or vocation can serve the common good while remaining rooted in your faith. Identify one opportunity this week to speak or act in a way that promotes truth, justice, or dialogue.

Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, March 12th, for another story of faith and courage in America.