Our Sunday Visitor serves Catholics at all stages of life as they walk the road of faith. Through thoughtful analysis, faith-filled commentary and inspiring stories, we provide clear answers to the questions people are asking. Our Sunday Visitor speaks the truth in a way that seeks unity in our increasingly polarized world. A trusted publication for more than a century, Our Sunday Visitor is an indispensable source of information and formation for Catholics who love their faith.   

Our Sunday Visitor at a glance

• Only weekly national Catholic newspaper in the United States; available in print, a digital edition, and online at oursundayvisitor.com.
• News and analysis through a Catholic lens
• Relevant and inspirational faith and catechetical content
• Faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church
• Award-winning
•  Founded in 1912

Although the majority of our content is generated on assignment by our core contributors, we welcome and consider all freelance contributions, whether offered by query or unsolicited manuscript.

Here’s a quick summary of what we are looking for:

• Instant analysis on breaking news, reported through a Catholic lens. This content is different from the reporting found in secular media and provides an immediate, yet thorough and accurate, Catholic perspective for Web reporting. Word count: 500-1,000.
• News analysis — not merely news reporting — pertaining to the Catholic Church in the United States and throughout the world. Word count: Generally 950-1,100 (including sidebars), but occasionally run as short as 500 words or as long as 2,000 words.
• In Focus four-page pull-out section, which is at the heart of OSV. Planned many weeks in advance, the In Focus section takes a particular topic of contemporary interest and examines it thoroughly within a package of articles. In Focus sections comprise a package of articles totaling 3,000-4,000 words written by one or more authors. Please first send a query.  
• Features linked to the current events and trends of the day. Can range from weighty issues of belief to methods of enhancing one’s prayer life to a discussion of parish “best practices” in a given area of ministry. Also can include topics on family, media and Church history. Word count: 1,350.
• Essays on relevant issues of the day. Must have a point to make and succeed at making it succinctly, keeping the facts firmly in mind and avoiding a shrill, ranting or uncharitable tone. Word count: 500 to 750 words.
• Profiles of a particular person, place or organization that serves as an example of Catholic faith in action. Word count: 500 to 750.
• Conversation: Question-and-answer-format interviews with selected relevant personalities. Our interviews require an introductory paragraph or two that sets the background and the speaker’s credentials for the discussion that follows. Word count: 1,200.  
• Faith-based articles that take advantage of the “catechetical moments” derived from the daily headlines and the liturgical year.

All Our Sunday Visitor entries should be:

• Tightly written 
• Cleanly written 
• Timely 
• Objective 
• Instructive 
• Faithful. 

Here’s what we generally are not looking for:

• Articles written in the first person.
• Long, academic or preachy commentaries.
• Features with no real link to Catholic faith or sensibilities.
• Straight news reporting, especially on strictly local events.
• Articles designed to publicize a future event.
• Short stories, whether fiction or non-fiction.
• Poetry.

Things we’d rather not spell out….

Because not all of our would-be freelance writers are trained journalists, we must state the following criteria more clearly:

• Don’t plagiarize. All articles must be original work of the author. Its content must not have been previously published, in whole or in part, whether in print, broadcast, online, even by the author himself. If a piece has been so published and there is a compelling reason to offer it to Our Sunday Visitor, or if what is being offered is a version of a previously published article, this information must be divulged at the outset.
• Familiarize yourself with Our Sunday Visitor first. Every publication has its own unique “flavor” and style. Even the best writers’ guidelines can’t fully express the kind of voice, flow and format the editors are seeking. Read Our Sunday Visitor in print, on your tablet or smartphone, or via oursundayvisitor.com for several weeks to get a better feel for what we are trying to do.
• Follow the submission guidelines closely. 

Policies

• We generally try to respond within 4 to 6 weeks.
• We pay writers within 4 weeks of acceptance.
• We generally follow the OSV News Stylebook and the current Associated Press Stylebook. For scriptural citations, we generally use the New American Bible.
• We comply with the Fair Publishing Practices Code of  the Catholic Media Association of the United States and Canada. We expect freelance writers to do the same. For a complete copy of this code, visit the Catholic Media Association.