Our Mission
“Every day you must grow in loyalty towards the Church, the Pope and the Holy See… with a love that should be always more theological.”
St. Josemaria Escriva
Furrow, no. 353
Midwest Theological Forum is a Catholic publisher whose aim is to serve the Church and help all Christians to know, love, and serve God with all their hearts and all their minds to fully engage in the great work of evangelization.
Our mission was planted in the early 1980’s when a few members of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei began organizing programs and activities among priests living in the Midwest of the United States. These initiatives helped to promote fraternity among priests as well as provide time for prayer, spiritual growth, and ongoing formation through theological and philosophical study.
In 1994, Midwest Theological Forum was established as a non-profit organization that would continue to organize programs and activities for priests and seminarians, but also publish books and resources at the service of the Church.
Since our first publication, the Daily Roman Missal, we have published titles in the areas of the Liturgy, Theology, Philosophy, Canon Law, Catholic Religious Education, and Catholic Spirituality. Among our most popular books today are the Daily Roman Missal, Handbook of Prayers, The Didache Series, Missale Romanum, Book of the Gospels, and the Roman Missal.
Our Vision
The work of evangelization is the task of a lifetime that requires solid spiritual and intellectual nourishment. Therefore, our vision for Midwest Theological Forum is to continue upholding fidelity to the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church; organizing and supporting initiatives for the ongoing formation of clergy and seminarians; publishing books and resources that are needed in the Church and by the Church; collaborating with new authors and scholars, and exploring institutional partnerships; providing faithful educational resources to Catholic parishes and schools; investing in the professional development and growth of our staff; and maintaining an uncompromised focus on quality, design, creativity, and customer service.
Our Staff
Rev. Peter V. Armenio
President
Elia Rivera
Executive Director
Edmundo Martinez
Director of Operations
Stephen J. Chojnicki
Editor & Print Buyer
Laura Ehrhardt
Marketing Director
Alvaro Ortega
Sales & Shipping Manager
Benjamin Valle
Creative Director & Program Manager
Randal Powers
Project Manager
Jonalee Maslanka
Customer Service & Sales Assistant
Caroline Beecher
The Rome Experience Coordinator
Initiatives for Evangelization
Midwest Theological Forum is committed to encouraging and investing in the mission of evangelization and the ongoing formation of priests and seminarians. To that end, we have established and remain the proud sponsor of the following programs:
Annual Easter Seminar for Priests and Seminarians
Launched in 1984, the Easter Seminar is an annual 4-day workshop for the ongoing formation of diocesan priests and seminarians. The days are spent in reflection and discussion with distinguished invited speakers on topics facing the priesthood, the Church, and the world today.
St. Josemaria Institute
Established in 2006, the St. Josemaria Institute is dedicated to promoting the holy life and devotion to St. Josemaria Escriva, priest and Founder of Opus Dei, to encourage and guide people in their goals towards holiness in daily life. [ www.stjosemaria.org ]
The Rome Experience
The Rome Experience is a six-week program for diocesan seminarians in the heart of the Catholic Church. Since 2007, the annual program has offered seminarians the opportunity to spend time on retreat followed by academic courses, pilgrimages, and excursions deepening habits of prayer and bonds of fraternity as they continue their formation for the priesthood. [ www.theromeexperience.org ]