Pflaum Publishing Group
Pflaum Publishing Group, founded in 1874 and a division of Bayard, Inc., publishes subscription-based Catholic faith formation curricula (Pflaum Gospel Weeklies) and sacramental preparation resources for Catholic parishes, schools, and families across the US and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1874
- HeadquartersDayton, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Pflaum Publishing Group does
Pflaum Publishing Group, founded in 1874 as The Pflaum Company, is a US Catholic educational publisher operating as a division of Bayard, Inc. — itself the US subsidiary of the French Bayard Group headquartered in Paris. The company produces faith formation curricula and supporting media primarily for Catholic parishes, Catholic schools, and Catholic families across the United States and Canada. Its operational headquarters are in Waterford, Connecticut, with a return-shipping facility in St. Louis and an exclusive Canadian distribution partnership with Novalis in Montreal.
The core product is the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, a subscription-based, liturgically-aligned weekly curriculum spanning six age bands — Seeds (Preschool), Promise (KG–Grade 1), Good News (Grades 2–3), Venture (Grades 4–6), Visions (Grades 7–9), and Awaken (Adults) — complemented by sacramental preparation programs (Together in Jesus for First Reconciliation/First Eucharist, Gifted with the Spirit for Confirmation, Invited by Christ for older children), a Liturgy of the Word program (Children Celebrate), and seasonal products (Absolutely Advent!, Totally Lent!). Through its parent Bayard, the portfolio also includes Living with Christ (liturgical planning magazine), Catholic Digest, and Catechist (teacher resources). The technology stack is conventional print/digital publishing with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, API surface, or proprietary platform features.
The business operates on a hybrid subscription/one-time-purchase model. Dated Gospel Weeklies are shipped through USPS on a recurring program-year basis, generating predictable subscription revenue, while sacramental and seasonal materials are sold as one-time purchases. Distribution combines an own e-commerce storefront (cart.pflaum.com), telephone customer service (1-800-543-4383), a sample request program, bookstore/distributor relationships, and the Novalis Canada channel. Pricing is quote-based for most products with bundled unit pricing for commemorative editions (e.g., $15 for the 2025 Pope Francis tribute set) and a 15% shipping charge structure. Customers are primarily parish-based — Directors of Religious Education (DREs), catechists, and parish leaders — making the GTM motion sales-led and relationship-driven rather than self-serve or digital-first.
Pflaum Publishing Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pflaum Publishing Group
- Legal name
- Pflaum Publishing Group
- Website
- https://pflaum.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1874
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Pflaum Publishing Group, founded in 1874 and a division of Bayard, Inc., publishes subscription-based Catholic faith formation curricula (Pflaum Gospel Weeklies) and sacramental preparation resources for Catholic parishes, schools, and families across the US and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pflaum Publishing Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious Education Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD), Worship & Liturgy Publishing (Liturgical Texts, Missals, Service Books, Hymnals) (MPAJAHAE), Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB), Core Subject Textbooks (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies) (EDAGAAAA)
Keywords
Where Pflaum Publishing Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dayton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Pflaum Publishing Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Subscription Publications: Pflaum Gospel Weeklies are dated products mailed through the U.S. Postal Service on a subscription basis, providing recurring revenue from parishes and schools that order for each program year.
- Product Sales: Direct product sales of faith formation materials, sacramental preparation resources, catechist guides, music, and seasonal programs through the company's e-commerce storefront and customer service orders.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pope Francis Special Editions bundled set |
| Subscription | Quarterly | Quarterly shipment reduction fee option |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping charges |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Pflaum Publishing Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pflaum Publishing Group publishes and distributes Catholic faith formation curriculum and sacramental preparation materials, anchored by the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies — a liturgically-based, weekly dated publication program spanning preschool through adult ages, alongside sacramental preparation programs, Liturgy of the Word resources, seasonal Advent/Lent programs, and subscription magazines such as Living with Christ, Catholic Digest, and Catechist. The company sells primarily to Catholic parishes, schools, and catechists via catalog, e-commerce, and direct sales, with products shipped on subscription and one-time-purchase bases.
Product overview
Pflaum Publishing Group is a Catholic publishing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of faith formation resources as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering centers on the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies program—a liturgically-based weekly curriculum spanning Seeds (Preschool), Promise (KG–Grade 1), Good News (Grades 2–3), Venture (Grades 4–6), Visions (Grades 7–9), and Awaken (Adults)—complemented by sacramental preparation programs (Together in Jesus for First Reconciliation/First Eucharist, Gifted with the Spirit for Confirmation, Invited by Christ for older children), Liturgy of the Word resources (Children Celebrate), and seasonal programs (Absolutely Advent!, Totally Lent!). The company also publishes Living with Christ (liturgical planning), Catholic Digest (general Catholic interest), and Catechist (teacher resources). A division of Bayard, Inc., the company serves Catholic parishes, schools, and families with affordable alternatives to bulky textbooks, offering both print materials and supplementary resources including music books and planners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pflaum Gospel Weeklies: Primary weekly faith formation publication for children and families covering liturgical seasons
- Gifted with the Spirit
- Together in Jesus
- Seeds
- Promise
- Good News
- Venture
- Visions
- Awaken
- Children Celebrate
- Absolutely Advent
- Totally Lent
- Invited by Christ
Products and services
- Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Liturgically-based weekly faith formation program for preschoolers through adults, providing dated lesson materials aligned with Sunday scripture readings, sold on subscription to Catholic parishes, schools, and families.
- Together in Jesus Comprehensive sacramental preparation program designed to bring children and their families to joyful reception of the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Eucharist in Catholic parish settings.
- Gifted with the Spirit Teen-friendly, parish-oriented, complete, and affordable Confirmation program available in Junior High and Senior High editions for Catholic parishes preparing teens for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
- Children Celebrate Year-round program that makes the Liturgy of the Word a faith-building experience for children during Sunday Mass, including weekly leaflets and leader guides for parishes running Children's Liturgy of the Word.
- Absolutely Advent! Seasonal Advent program guiding students of all ages through the Advent season using scripture, prayer, and life lessons for Catholic parish and school faith formation.
- Totally Lent! Seasonal Lent program guiding students of all ages through the Lenten season using scripture, prayer, and life lessons for Catholic parish and school faith formation.
- Living with Christ Monthly liturgical planning magazine providing daily Mass readings, reflections, and resources for priests, deacons, and liturgy planners.
- Catholic Digest Monthly Catholic magazine featuring inspiring stories, practical advice, and spiritual content for Catholic families.
- Catechist Resource magazine and website serving catechists and religious education teachers with practical teaching tools, lesson ideas, and inspiration.
- Bayard Pilgrimages Faith-based pilgrimage tours to sacred destinations including the Holy Land and Europe, organized in partnership with BIPEL tour operator and led by experienced guides.
Companies that use Pflaum Publishing Group
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Pflaum Publishing Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Pflaum Publishing Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- BIPELminorBIPEL is a tour operator with history organizing pilgrimages since 1990. Bayard partnered with BIPEL to offer faith-based pilgrimage journeys to sacred destinations including the Holy Land and European pilgrimage sites. The partnership provides spiritual enrichment experiences led by experienced guides.
- NovaliscoreNovalis serves as the exclusive Canadian distributor for Pflaum Publishing Group products. Customers in Canada contact Novalis at P.O. Box 11050 Centre-Ville Stn, Montreal, QC H3C 4Y6 or 1-800-387-7164 for ordering.
- Bayard, Inc.corePflaum Publishing Group is a division of Bayard, Inc., a leading Christian publisher in the United States serving the Church through education and nourishing the daily lives of Christian youth, families and parishes. Bayard provides corporate leadership including CEO Jean-Marie Montel who is also Chairman of the Board of Bayard Inc. and Managing Director of the Bayard Group in Paris.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pflaum Publishing Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ignatius Press: Ignatius Press publishes Catholic theology, Scripture, catechetical, and apologetics titles for parish and school use, representing a broader Catholic publishing peer whose parish resource line competes with Pflaum's reference and study content.
- Ave Maria Press: Ave Maria Press is a Catholic book and parish resource publisher (sister imprint of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education), offering discipleship, prayer, and parish program resources that overlap with Pflaum's catechist and adult faith formation offerings.
- Loyola Press: Loyola Press is one of the largest U.S. Catholic religious education publishers, offering faith formation curricula, sacramental prep, and youth ministry resources that directly compete with Pflaum Gospel Weeklies and Together in Jesus in parish and school accounts.
- Our Sunday Visitor (OSV): Our Sunday Visitor is a Catholic publishing house producing faith formation, sacramental prep, and parish resources, including curriculum lines that compete head-to-head with Pflaum's Gospel Weeklies and sacramental programs.
- William H. Sadlier: Sadlier publishes the widely adopted "We Believe" and "Coming to Faith" Catholic religion curricula for Catholic schools and parish programs, directly competing with Pflaum's textbook-alternative weekly lesson format at the parish and school level.
- Saint Mary's Press: Saint Mary's Press is a Catholic publisher focused on adolescent faith formation, Confirmation prep, and youth ministry curricula, directly overlapping with Pflaum's Gifted with the Spirit Confirmation program and Visions middle-school Weeklies.
- RCL Benziger: RCL Benziger publishes Catholic school religion textbooks and parish sacramental prep materials (e.g., Be My Disciples, Blest Are We), positioning it as a direct competitor to Pflaum's curriculum and sacramental product lines in Catholic school adoption decisions.
Broad incumbents
- Catechetical Resources / RCL (part of Imagine Learning): RCL Benziger, now part of Imagine Learning, is a broader educational publishing incumbent that distributes Catholic religion textbooks and parish programs at scale, sitting between Pflaum and large secular educational publishers that occasionally enter the Catholic curriculum space.
Emerging players
- Sophia Institute Press: Sophia Institute Press publishes Catholic catechetical, devotional, and curriculum materials (including TAN Books), and overlaps with Pflaum's devotional, prayer, and parish formation offerings as a smaller but growing niche Catholic publisher.
Regional players
- Novalis (St. Paul Center/Novalis): Novalis is a Canadian Catholic publisher and Pflaum's exclusive Canadian distributor; it also publishes its own faith formation and liturgical resources, making it both a partner and a regional peer in the Canadian market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pflaum Publishing Group social profiles
Digital presencePflaum Publishing Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pflaum Publishing Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Pflaum Publishing Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pflaum Publishing Group 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 Pflaum Publishing Group
What does Pflaum Publishing Group do?
Pflaum Publishing Group publishes and distributes Catholic faith formation curriculum and sacramental preparation materials, anchored by the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies — a liturgically-based, weekly dated publication program spanning preschool through adult ages, alongside sacramental preparation programs, Liturgy of the Word resources, seasonal Advent/Lent programs, and subscription magazines such as Living with Christ, Catholic Digest, and Catechist. The company sells primarily to Catholic parishes, schools, and catechists via catalog, e-commerce, and direct sales, with products shipped on subscription and one-time-purchase bases.
Is Pflaum Publishing Group a public or private company?
Pflaum Publishing Group is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Pflaum Publishing Group founded?
Pflaum Publishing Group was founded in 1874.
Where is Pflaum Publishing Group based?
Pflaum Publishing Group is headquartered in Dayton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pflaum Publishing Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription Publications are the primary driver. The others are product Sales.
Who are Pflaum Publishing Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ignatius Press, Ave Maria Press, Loyola Press, Our Sunday Visitor (OSV), William H. Sadlier, Saint Mary's Press and RCL Benziger. Catechetical Resources / RCL (part of Imagine Learning) is listed as a broad incumbent. Sophia Institute Press is listed as an emerging player. Novalis (St. Paul Center/Novalis) is listed as a regional player.
Does Pflaum Publishing Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pflaum Publishing Group.
What industry is Pflaum Publishing Group in?
Pflaum Publishing Group's product category is Religious Education Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAHAC, Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides), with a secondary code of MPAJAHAD, Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.