The Word Among Us
The Word Among Us is a Catholic media ministry, founded in 1981 and based in Frederick, Maryland, that publishes a monthly devotional magazine with daily meditations on the Mass readings across print, iOS, Android, web, and Kindle, serving roughly 550,000-600,000+ readers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersIjamsville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Word Among Us does
The Word Among Us is a privately held Catholic media ministry, founded in December 1981 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland, that publishes a monthly devotional magazine built around daily meditations on the Catholic Mass readings. Its core product is a print magazine issued 10 times per year, distributed in the United States, Canada, and internationally through country-specific distributors in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, with a reported worldwide readership of 550,000-600,000+.
The ministry operates a multi-platform distribution footprint that includes Apple iOS and Android mobile applications (each at $1.99/month with free trial), a Web Edition at $11.95/year, and an Amazon Kindle edition; both the iOS and Android apps now offer audio playback and a missalette view for use at Mass. Ancillary operations include a wholly-owned online bookstore (The Word Among Us Bookstore / The Word Among Us Press) selling Catholic titles, a wholly-owned Spanish-language edition (La Palabra Entre Nosotros), a Partners Ministry donation program that subsidizes free distribution, and dedicated parish and Catholic school/catechesis resource channels.
Revenue is generated through recurring print and digital subscriptions, one-time bookstore purchases, and charitable donations; the organization is supported by a small staff of 11-50 employees and led by President and CEO Jeff Smith.
The Word Among Us firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Word Among Us
- Legal name
- The Word Among Us
- Website
- https://wau.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Word Among Us is a Catholic media ministry, founded in 1981 and based in Frederick, Maryland, that publishes a monthly devotional magazine with daily meditations on the Mass readings across print, iOS, Android, web, and Kindle, serving roughly 550,000-600,000+ readers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Word Among Us industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Worship & Liturgy Publishing (Liturgical Texts, Missals, Service Books, Hymnals) (MPAJAHAE), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)
Keywords
Where The Word Among Us is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ijamsville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Word Among Us business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Print Magazine Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions for The Word Among Us print magazine delivered to subscribers' homes, including 10 issues per year. Includes free web access with subscription. Available in USA, Canada, and International versions.
- Digital Subscriptions: Monthly and annual digital subscriptions for Apple iOS, Android, Web Edition, and Kindle. Mobile apps include daily Mass readings, audio content, and missalette view for use at Mass. Web Edition includes Mass readings.
- Book Sales: Sale of books and religious resources through The Word Among Us Bookstore (bookstore.wau.org), including titles published by The Word Among Us Press such as Magnifica Humanitas, Anchored by Hope, and other Catholic devotional materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print Edition with Daily Mass Readings Supplement |
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Print Edition (USA Only) |
| Subscription | Annual | International Print Edition |
| Subscription | Monthly | Apple iOS Digital Edition |
| Subscription | Monthly | Android Digital Edition |
| Subscription | Annual | Web Edition |
| Subscription | Annual | Gift Subscription with Mass Readings |
| Subscription | Annual | Gift Subscription Standard (USA Only) |
| Subscription | Annual | Gift Subscription International |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Word Among Us product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Word Among Us publishes a monthly Catholic devotional magazine (10 print issues per year) featuring daily meditations tied to the Catholic Mass readings, saints' stories, and inspirational essays, plus digital editions on iOS, Android, Web, and Kindle, a Catholic bookstore, and a Spanish-language sister publication. The ministry reaches 550,000+ readers worldwide through subscriptions, one-time book purchases, and donor-supported distribution.
Product overview
The Word Among Us is a Catholic publishing ministry offering a portfolio of devotional products centered on its monthly print magazine. The core offering is The Word Among Us Magazine, a monthly devotional providing daily meditations based on Catholic Mass readings, inspirational essays, and saints' stories. This is available in print (standard edition or with Daily Mass Readings supplement) and digitally through Apple iOS, Android, Web, and Kindle platforms. The company also operates an online bookstore publishing Catholic books, maintains a Prayer Center with prayer request services, and offers an extensive library of free online resource articles. A Spanish-language edition called La Palabra Entre Nosotros serves Spanish-speaking readers. All products support the ministry's mission to help Catholics experience God's presence through scripture and prayer.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Partners Ministry: A donation program that matches contributions to help send The Word Among Us publications to those in need.
- La Palabra Entre Nosotros
Companies that use The Word Among Us
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Word Among Us technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Word Among Us partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- International Distributors (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand)minorInternational distributors handle print subscription distribution for The Word Among Us in UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Customers in these regions can subscribe through these authorized distributors.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Word Among Us competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Magnificat: Magnificat is a daily prayer companion based on the Catholic liturgy of the hours, directly comparable to The Word Among Us. Both are subscription-based Catholic devotional publications anchored to Mass readings and serve the same individual Catholic reader segment.
- Give Us This Day: Give Us This Day is a Catholic daily prayer resource with Mass reflections and lectio divina, serving the same niche as The Word Among Us. Competes for the same individual-reader subscription dollars tied to daily Catholic meditation.
- Upper Room (The Upper Room Disciplines): Upper Room Disciplines is a daily devotional magazine with a similar monthly/daily format, though ecumenical rather than Catholic. Same subscription model and reader habit (daily readings), with overlapping distribution through churches and individuals.
- Our Daily Bread: Our Daily Bread publishes a daily devotional booklet by RBC Ministries with both print and digital editions, closely paralleling WAU's daily meditation subscription model. Operates at larger scale across denominations with similar revenue mechanics.
Broad incumbents
- EWTN News / EWTN Publishing: EWTN is a large Catholic media network with publishing, TV, and digital products. Overlaps with The Word Among Us in Catholic devotional content and book publishing but operates at much greater scale and breadth.
- Loyola Press: Loyola Press is a major Catholic publisher producing books, devotionals, and faith-formation curricula (e.g., the Ignatian tradition). Comparable to The Word Among Us Bookstore and devotional/educational publishing arms.
- Ave Maria Press: Ave Maria Press publishes Catholic books, pamphlets, and parish resources. Comparable to The Word Among Us Press on the book-publishing side, serving overlapping parish and individual Catholic customers.
Others
- USCCB Publishing: USCCB publishes official liturgical texts, missals, and Catechetical resources. Competes on free tier with WAU Mass readings content and represents the official alternate source for the same liturgical material.
Emerging players
- Catholic Answers Press: Catholic Answers is a Catholic apologetics publisher and media outlet with books, digital content, and evangelization products. Comparable on Catholic book publishing and digital subscriber monetization; competes for overlapping reader attention.
- Paraclete Press: Paraclete Press publishes Christian spiritual and devotional books, including Catholic titles. Comparable to The Word Among Us Bookstore within the Catholic/Christian devotional publishing niche, with similar subscription and one-off book revenue streams.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Word Among Us social profiles
Digital presenceThe Word Among Us financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Word Among Us leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Word Among Us subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
The Word Among Us funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Word Among Us M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Word Among Us
What does The Word Among Us do?
The Word Among Us publishes a monthly Catholic devotional magazine (10 print issues per year) featuring daily meditations tied to the Catholic Mass readings, saints' stories, and inspirational essays, plus digital editions on iOS, Android, Web, and Kindle, a Catholic bookstore, and a Spanish-language sister publication. The ministry reaches 550,000+ readers worldwide through subscriptions, one-time book purchases, and donor-supported distribution.
Is The Word Among Us a public or private company?
The Word Among Us is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was The Word Among Us founded?
The Word Among Us was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Word Among Us based?
The Word Among Us is headquartered in Ijamsville, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Word Among Us make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Print Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are digital Subscriptions and book Sales.
Who are The Word Among Us's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Magnificat, Give Us This Day, Upper Room (The Upper Room Disciplines) and Our Daily Bread. Broad incumbents are EWTN News / EWTN Publishing, Loyola Press and Ave Maria Press. USCCB Publishing is listed as an others. Emerging players are Catholic Answers Press and Paraclete Press.
Does The Word Among Us have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Word Among Us.
What industry is The Word Among Us in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAHAB, Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides), with a secondary code of MPAJAHAE, Worship & Liturgy Publishing (Liturgical Texts, Missals, Service Books, Hymnals). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.