INTRODUCTION

THE Catholic press during the interwar period consisted of numerous periodicals, from dailies to monthlies. They were published both by religious orders-which included the Jesuits, Pallotines, Michaelites, and Franciscans- and by lay organizations. The number of titles in 1936 alone totalled 199. The print-runs of some of these were huge: in fact they accounted for 27 per cent of the total output of periodicals in Poland. 1 The Catholic press thus exercised considerable influence.

Catholic journals were aimed at readers from various social groups and classes, and their circulation levels varied. Some of the titles were published in small editions and were concerned chiefly with local parish affairs. There was a significant amount of reading material aimed at children and young people, sometimes in the form of separate titles, sometimes in the form of supplements to periodicals for the adult reader. There were also journals intended specifically for priests, or chiefly concerned with missionary matters.

Clearly it would be impossible to discuss, even in broad terms, the whole of the Catholic press, or even a majority of its titles. In this essay, therefore, I shall look mainly at selected periodicals (and almanacs, which had a no less important influence) aimed at a non-clerical readership, and shall concentrate on those with a large print-run and circulation and which, in terms of content, were not restricted to purely local affairs. The range includes those aimed at the popular market and printed in large numbers through to those aimed at a more intellectual readership, with a considerably smaller print-run; some concerned themselves chiefly with religious problems, while others discussed political, social, and cultural issues.

The following periodicals served as a basis for this study: Przegląd katolicki [Catholic review, weekly], Królowa apostolow [The queen of apostles, monthly], and Kalendarz królowej apostołów [Almanac of the queen of apostles], which were published by the Pallotine Fathers; Poslaniec serca Jezusowego [Messenger of the heart of Jesus, monthly], Kalendarz apostolstwa modlitwy [Almanac of the apostles of prayer], Sodalis Marianus (monthly), and Przegląd powszechny [General review, monthly], published by the Jesuits; Rycerz Niepokalanej [Knight of the Virgin, monthly] and Maly dziennik [The small daily], published by the Franciscans; Ruch katolicki [The Catholic movement, monthly], the organ of Catholic Action; Kultura (weekly) published by the Central Institute of Catholic Action;