Saint Mary's Press

What Saint Mary's Press does

Saint Mary's Press is a privately held, non-profit Catholic publishing organization headquartered in Winona, Minnesota, operating since 1943. The company produces Bibles, catechetical curricula, sacramental preparation programs, prayer resources, and devotional materials targeted at Catholic parishes, Catholic K-12 schools (elementary, middle, and high school), Catholic families, and adults entering the Church via OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). Its mission is tied to the educational tradition of Saint John Baptist de La Salle and the Lasallian order. The product portfolio is age-segmented and includes four core Bibles (The Catholic Children's Bible for ages 6-10, Breakthrough! for ages 10-14, The Catholic Youth Bible for ages 14+, and the Anselm Academic Study Bible) alongside structured faith formation programs (Discover! for K-5, Connect! for Grades 6-8, Called to Mercy for Confirmation, and Go Seek Find for Reconciliation/Eucharist preparation), the Catholic Faith Handbook, Life in Christ catechism, and prayer/devotional resources.

The company's technology stack centers on two proprietary digital assets: an eLearning platform (mlearn.smp.org) that ships bundled with the major faith formation programs to support in-person, online, and home-based instruction, and an eBook storefront (ebook.smp.org) for digital editions of its publications. There is no public AI, ML, or advanced technology capability disclosed. The business model is overwhelmingly transactional — one-time/perpetual license sales of physical books and bundled kits, augmented by subscription-style access to digital learning content. Pricing is per-unit ($9.95–$51.95 retail range) with institutional bulk discounts of 10% on 20+ units, 20% on 50+ units, and 25% on 125+ units. Free catechist guides are bundled with qualifying classroom purchases, and delayed billing/shipping is offered to school and parish customers. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and direct-to-institution via smp.org, a toll-free phone order line, email sales, a Ministry Care Team (inside sales function), print catalogs segmented by Parish, K-8, and High School, and an active organic social presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Geographic focus is the United States only; no international distribution footprint is disclosed.

Name

Saint Mary's Press

Legal name

Saint Mary's Press

Website

https://smp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Saint Mary's Press is a non-profit Catholic publisher based in Winona, Minnesota that produces Bibles, faith formation curricula, and sacramental preparation programs for Catholic parishes, K-12 schools, families, and OCIA candidates across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winona

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Physical Book Sales: Sale of printed Bibles, curricula, faith formation programs, and sacramental preparation materials to Catholic schools, parishes, and families.
2. Digital Products (eBooks & eLearning): Sale and access to digital versions of publications and eLearning courses included with program purchases or as standalone products.
3. Curricula Programs: Comprehensive faith formation programs for K-5, middle school, and high school including Discover!, Connect!, and Called to Mercy programs sold as kits and student books.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Saint Mary's Press publishes Catholic Bibles, faith formation curricula, sacramental preparation programs, and prayer resources distributed to Catholic schools, parishes, and families for K-12 religious education and parish-based faith formation.

Product overview

Saint Mary's Press is a Catholic educational publisher offering a comprehensive portfolio of faith formation resources across multiple product lines: Bible products (The Catholic Children's Bible, Breakthrough!, The Catholic Youth Bible, and Anselm Academic Study Bible) serving ages 6 through adult; structured faith formation programs (Discover! for K-5, Connect! for middle school, and Called to Mercy for Confirmation); sacramental preparation programs (Go Seek Find for Reconciliation and Eucharist); prayer resources (Children's and Youth Prayer Books); catechetical handbooks (The Catholic Faith Handbook and Life in Christ); devotional series (365 Devotionals); and bereavement resources. All major programs include eLearning digital platform access. The company serves Parish, Elementary, Middle School, and High School market segments with both print and digital offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Bibles Translation-edition Catholic Bibles produced for use in schools, parishes, and personal study by Catholic audiences.
• Faith Formation Curricula Age-appropriate, parish-based faith formation programs for K-12 learners and parish religious education programs.
• Sacramental Preparation Programs Preparation materials and programs for the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation, used by parishes and families.
• Prayer and Devotional Resources Books, prayer guides, and devotionals for personal and parish devotional use.
• Digital eLearning Platform Subscription-based online platform delivering digital faith formation and religious education content to Catholic schools and parish programs.
• eBook Storefront Online storefront for digital editions of Saint Mary's Press titles across Bible, faith formation, and devotional categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Life in Christ catechism has guided millions into the Catholic Church

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pauline Books & Media: Catholic publishing ministry of the Daughters of Saint Paul, producing Bibles, catechetical books, and media for Catholic education and parish use, with overlapping product lines in children's Bibles and youth prayer resources.
• Ave Maria Press: Catholic book and resource publisher (sponsored by the Congregation of Holy Cross) producing Bibles, prayer books, and faith formation content targeting parishes, schools, and adult faith formation — directly comparable to Saint Mary's Press's catalog.
• Our Sunday Visitor: Catholic publishing and parish resources company offering curricula, Bibles, catechetical materials, and parish program content that directly competes with Saint Mary's Press across parish and school channels.
• Sadlier: Long-established Catholic school textbook and religious education publisher with grade-level religion programs and sacramental prep materials that overlap directly with Saint Mary's Press's Discover!, Connect!, and Called to Mercy lines.
• Loyola Press: A major Catholic publisher (Jesuit-sponsored) offering K-12 faith formation curricula, Bibles, and sacramental preparation programs that compete head-to-head with Saint Mary's Press in parish and Catholic school adoptions.
• Ascension Press: Catholic publisher of Bibles (The Great Adventure Bible), study programs, and sacramental prep materials with strong parish-program distribution; competes with Saint Mary's Press in Bible, Confirmation, and adult faith formation segments.
• RCL Benziger: Catholic publisher of K-8 faith formation and sacramental preparation programs (e.g., Blest Are We, We Believe) competing in the same parish religious education and Catholic school adoption market as Saint Mary's Press.

Broad incumbents

• World Library Publications: Catholic publisher under the GIA family focused on liturgical music, hymnals, and worship resources; broader parish supplier that overlaps with Saint Mary's Press in worship and prayer content for parish programs.
• Zondervan: Major Christian (predominantly Protestant) trade and Bible publisher that competes for Bible shelf share and faith-based children's content, providing a useful benchmark for scale and digital product strategy in religious publishing.

Others

• Biblionef: International non-profit that distributes children's books including faith-based titles to underserved communities; an adjacent enabling organization rather than a direct competitor, but relevant to the children's faith publishing ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saintmaryspress
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SaintMarysPress
• Facebookfacebook.com/SaintMarysPress
• Instagraminstagram.com/saintmaryspress
• Pinterestpinterest.com/saintmaryspress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saint Mary's Press