When I began writing for Catholic Exchange two years ago, I was launching my career. At the time an undergraduate at Florida International University in Miami, I needed writing gigs that came with a degree of flexibility. Freelance writing was my best option—but any writer can tell you that connections are crucial, and you need to find people who are willing to take you on and believe in your potential.
I was blessed enough to find just such a person in Phillip Campbell, my former history teacher at the first-rate Catholic homeschooling curriculum Homeschool Connections. Mr. Campbell is not only a great teacher, he’s also an accomplished freelance writer and author. He was kind enough to read some of the pieces I’d written for other platforms.
Then, he blew my mind: a Catholic Exchange contributor himself, he asked if he could reach out to former editor Kristen Theriault (Van Uden) to recommend me.
That’s when I found another set of people who believed in me—CE and its readership community.
As a young writer and graduate student, I can truthfully say that writing for CE has given me far-reaching opportunities. The fact that such a prominent publication with a diverse, international readership welcomes in young writers still amazes me.
One of CE’s newest contributors, young Josh Mason from outside London, England, agrees.
In Year 9 (U.S. eighth grade), Josh belongs to the Coptic Orthodox Church, but he wasn’t always a Christian. In fact, he was once atheist.
When Josh was 13, a video about AI popped up on his YouTube feed. Intrigued, he started to explore similar videos made by the same creator, a fellow atheist who sparked Josh’s interest in philosophy. He had no idea that delving into philosophy would lead him to an avid interest in theology—and eventually to converting to Christianity.
“Before I started writing my own pieces about theology, I came across Catholic Exchange while searching on the internet,” he shared. From his perspective as a teen, he says Catholic Exchange “is a place I can learn quickly and don’t have to get into researching for hours on end. There are lots of articles on a very wide range of topics.”
“Originally, I started writing without having any idea of publishing,” said Josh, who now delves into subjects including classical theism, epistemology, and the philosophy of religion. “I started writing thoughts down, especially on web chats, and I started writing things for school. Eventually, I decided I wanted to get published, to see if I could.”
Josh is excited to be writing for CE as of May 27. He also shared how grateful he is for CE’s empowering culture: “I like being able to write without the very competitive pressure found in some journals.”
As for CE Editor-In-Chief Angie Allen, she is all for letting young people use their voices to make a difference. Allen was deeply impacted by her English teacher’s encouragement when she was around Josh’s age.
“I remember there being a turning point in eighth grade,” she recalled. “My English teacher would give me really meaningful compliments—different from other academic feedback I received. She was also encouraging me and pushing me to strengthen my skills. Because I had the skillset, I had the responsibility to develop it further.”
Allen further grew in her passion for literature and literary criticism in high school and college. Teaching in a Bronx mission after college, she also “discovered a passion for Catholic education.”
Becoming Editor-in-Chief at CE over a year ago “was so satisfying to my heart, to be able to serve in a way that plays a direct role in Catholic formation.”
As a young adult spearheading a technology-driven platform, Allen has a special devotion to St. Teresa of Avila. “She’s one of the primary saints we think about from the period of the Reformation of the Church,” she said. “It amazes me because she made a huge impact from behind cloistered walls. I feel connected to her in my role at CE, trying to reach the world from behind a computer screen.”
Joining CE is a full-circle moment, since her father Tom Allen served as co-founding Editor of Catholic Exchange over 20 years ago. “My mom loves to tell the story of how my dad and his business partners at the time were deciding what to name Catholic Exchange. They were in my childhood home, while I was running around and playing,” she said. “Little did any of us know I would one day run it!”
“Speaking as a young adult with a Catholic and classical background, I firmly believe education doesn’t end when you get a diploma,” she added. “Young adulthood is a different stage in life, because how it starts is almost with a death . . . Going into the throes of the secular world, you’re shedding whatever bubble you were in during childhood. You have to take primary ownership over your own formation and faith”—and that’s where CE comes in.
“I hope young adults discover CE and realize it helps them with their commitment to growing in faith and holiness every day,” she said. “It’s a place of respite, of peace. It’s a place where you can escape the loud, fearmongering headlines of news sites. You can let yourself be grounded in spiritual truths and be restored by faith.”
Welcoming in young people as readers and writers, providing content on relevant topics from baseball to art to history and the stories of the saints, Catholic Exchange is a place where youth and young adults can encounter God’s love—and discover how to live their own missions in the world.
Editor’s Note: If you’ve engaged with or been impacted by Catholic Exchange, please consider contributing to our fundraising campaign. We have only 5 days to meet our goal!
Photo by Vince Fleming on Unsplash
