Diocesan Magazines

From the 1860s onwards a steadily increasing number of British dioceses, especially in the Church of England, began issuing publications containing a variety of news, comment and educational articles relating to their work. Similar examples were eventually added by a number of Roman Catholic dioceses and by various ecclesiastical denominations overseas.

The earliest regular example was seemingly the Diocesan Magazine introduced about 1867 in the Anglican diocese of Lichfield (also incidentally the centre for some of the earliest parish magazines). This was during the episcopate of bishop John Lonsdale. However it seems mainly to have been a localised version of a separate magazine, Mission Life. There had previously been a short-lived Oxford Parochial Magazine, but this had been neither published by nor centred on the diocese.

During the Victorian era such publications were frequently named as the Diocesan Gazette or simply as the Diocesan Magazine. From the early 20th century many dioceses began to produce shorter monthly news bulletins or leaflets, often designed for possible inclusion as an insert within the local parish magazine. These could either replace the older magazines (sometimes being quite similar to some of the less ambitious gazettes) or alternatively might be ancillary to them.

Occasionally the introduction of a new diocesan gazette might attract scepticism or controversy: in London diocese there were complaints of early high-handed techniques being used in efforts to increase their circulation.

Formats, layouts and titles have however changed over the years to reflect the changing needs and circumstances of the church. Many of the earliest titles have now ceased publication, usually being replaced by new ventures meeting more modern needs. Some of these have now adopted a more popular newspaper-type style.

Typical contents of the earlier magazines would include a pastoral letter from a bishop or another senior clergyman; theological reflections; particulars of the bishop’s engagements during the coming month; comments on recent national or local news; details of forthcoming events and meetings; and particulars of recent clerical appointments. They were not always well regarded: one writer commented regarding diocesan leaflets in 1949: Unfortunately, most of these must be classed as dull productions and some … contribute little to the Christian cause and may even have a negative influence. As with the parish magazine the trouble seems to be a style of writing and a format which repels rather than attracts. But there is some excuse for the Diocesan Leaflet as many of them are written primarily for the clergy, to give them news of conferences, retreats and other events … It would be better to supply the clergy with their news in mimeograph form and devote all the Leaflet space to news of interest to the laity.

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Wikipedia