Faithful to Our Mission
The founding editor of The Better Part started with a bold idea:
create a journal that is reminiscent of the past— when books were treasured,
articles were thoughtfully curated, and ideas were given time to mature.
That vision, coupled with the desire to create a “home” for the voices of intellectual Catholic women, seems to have awakened something in many women across the country! Many talented Catholic women are thrilled to call The Better Part their home—by contributing their work, by subscribing to our newsletter, and by finding our social media pages.
As the publisher and Founding Editor of The Better Part, I found myself in a humorous predicament:
I felt the urge to work as quickly as I could to ensure that the journal remains “relevant” in a world that moves much more quickly than I do.
And I felt the desire to generate content to ensure the journal’s audience does not “lose interest.”
In my desire to ensure that the intellectual journal modeled after Mary of Bethany become successful, I became Martha.
And many times, I could feel the echoes of Scripture:
“Martha, you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed” (Luke 10:41).
The Better Part exists to Defy
cultural noise.
Nearly every digital platform trains us to scroll faster, react quicker, and move on before the heart or the mind have had time to listen.
The result is not a culture of dialogue, but one of distraction—a hum of constant noise that drowns out both thought and prayer.
The Better Part exists to defy that noise.
We will not create an online platform that pushes our readers to consume for the sake of consumption. We will not publish work that contributes to the frenzy of online commentary and “likes.” Furthermore, we will not print art or content that has been generated by Artificial Intelligence—this includes items created for marketing purposes.
Our commitment is deliberate:
we seek thoughtful and creative work that nourishes contemplation,
that slows the reader down,
that makes space for stillness and truth.
This refusal is not a retreat from the world. It is a deeper engagement with reality.
By stepping away from the rush, we allow words to take root.
We allow truth to resonate.
We allow beauty to speak in its own time.
To print only what is enduring, thoughtful, and faithful is, for us, an act of stewardship.
Every page is an invitation to pause.
Every essay, poem, or photo is an offering against distraction.
In a culture addicted to immediacy, we choose permanence.
In a climate of noise, we choose voice.
Because at His feet, as Mary of Bethany reminds us, she listens.
And she marvels at what she sees and hears.
At His feet…in her voice.
