The Word Among Us

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.

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

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

• Catholic devotional magazine
• Daily mass readings
• Religious book publishing
• Christian meditation content
• Spiritual subscription content

Headquarters

HQ city

Ijamsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Distributors (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/wordamongus
• Facebookfacebook.com/wordamongus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 The Word Among Us