American Catholic Press

What American Catholic Press does

American Catholic Press (ACP) is a privately held, non-profit Catholic publishing organization founded in 1929 and headquartered at 16565 S. State Street, South Holland, Illinois. The company produces printed liturgical and music materials — hymnals, missals, octavos (choral sheet music), prayer books, lectionaries, and audio recordings — for Catholic worship, education, and parish use. Its two anchor products are the Leaflet Missal prayerbook (published continuously since 1929 and credited as the original missalette) and the American Catholic Hymnbook (in print since 1967). Supporting offerings include the Parish Liturgy magazine, a Lectionary, the four-volume Liturgy of the Hours, the ACP Library of scholarly articles, and the ACP Family Bookstore for Bibles and Catholic literature. Two registered trademarks — Leaflet Missal and Parish Liturgy — anchor the brand identity.

ACP generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of printed publications, sheet music, and audio recordings, distributed via the ACP Family Bookstore online storefront, phone, fax, and mail orders. Pricing is unit-based, with octavos at approximately $2.95–$3.00, cassettes at $8.95, and CDs at $16.95; the Leaflet Missal operates on an annual subscription model for periodical delivery to parishes and individuals. The customer base is primarily US Catholic parishes and church choirs (mid-market vertical segment), with individual Catholics as a secondary persona segment. Operations are led by Father Michael Gilligan as Executive Director, with 11–50 employees and a single facility. The company sustains itself in part through annual benefit events (e.g., the 2024 ACP Benefit at Olympia Fields Country Club) and donor contributions.

The organization asserts a global footprint, with hymns and songs translated into German, Latvian, and other languages and used from Australia to Zambia. In 2019, ACP acquired ownership of the 'Seasonal Missalette' trademark previously held by J.S. Paluch Company, consolidating its brand position in the missalette category. No external investors, parent company, venture funding, acquisitions, or material leadership changes are disclosed in the source materials.

Name

American Catholic Press

Legal name

American Catholic Press

Website

https://americancatholicpress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Catholic Press is a non-profit Catholic publishing company founded in 1929 that prints hymnals, missals, prayer books, octavos, and liturgical materials for Catholic parishes, choirs, and individuals, sold via direct online, phone, fax, and mail channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Worship & Liturgy Publishing (Liturgical Texts, Missals, Service Books, Hymnals) (MPAJAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Catholic liturgical publishing
• Hymnal publishing
• Missal publishing
• Church choir music
• Parish worship resources

Headquarters

HQ city

South Holland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Publication Sales: Direct sales of hymnals, missals, books, octavos (sheet music), and recordings. Products include the Leaflet Missal prayerbook, American Catholic Hymnbook, choral octavos, and audio recordings (cassettes and CDs).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

American Catholic Press is a Catholic liturgical publisher that prints and sells hymnals, missals, prayer books, choral octavos (sheet music), recordings, magazines, and supporting religious literature. Its two anchor products are the Leaflet Missal periodical prayerbook (published since 1929) and the American Catholic Hymnbook (since 1967), supplemented by an online catalog (ACP Publications), a direct-to-consumer online bookstore (ACP Family Bookstore), the Parish Liturgy magazine, lectionary resources, and a four-volume Liturgy of the Hours edition. Sales are conducted directly to parishes, church choirs, musicians, and individual Catholics via online, phone, fax, and mail channels.

Product overview

American Catholic Press is a publisher of hymnals, missals, books, and liturgical materials for Catholic worship. The company offers a portfolio of interconnected products centered around two core publications: the Leaflet Missal prayerbook (since 1929) and the American Catholic Hymnbook (since 1967). Supporting offerings include ACP Publications for sheet music and octavos, the ACP Family Bookstore for Bibles and Catholic literature, Parish Liturgy magazine, lectionary resources, Liturgy of the Hours volumes, and the ACP Library of theological articles. The company operates primarily as a traditional publishing house serving Catholic parishes, choirs, and individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leaflet Missal: Registered trademark prayerbook published by ACP since 1929, described as the original missalette
• Parish Liturgy
• American Catholic Hymnbook
• ACP Family Bookstore
• ACP Publications

Products and services

• Leaflet Missal The original missalette prayerbook, periodically published and offered by subscription to parishes and individuals to provide current Catholic liturgical prayers and worship aids for Mass.
• American Catholic Hymnbook Principal hymnal containing hymns, psalms, and congregational songs for Catholic worship, providing the canonical song resource for parishes and choirs.
• Octavos (Sheet Music) Individual choral settings and sheet music for liturgical use, including SATB arrangements, organ accompaniments, and instrumental settings sold as unit-priced octavos.
• ACP Publications (Online Catalog) Online catalog of octavos (sheet music), choral music, song books, and liturgical books that choirs, music directors, and parishes can browse and order.
• ACP Family Bookstore Own e-commerce bookstore offering Bibles, books, funeral and wedding materials, the Liturgy of the Hours, RCIA resources, and Catholic literature direct to consumers.
• Parish Liturgy Magazine providing pastoral guidance and resources for parish liturgical celebrations, distributed under a registered ACP trademark.
• Liturgy of the Hours (Four-Volume Large Print Edition) Four-volume large print edition of the Liturgy of the Hours available through the ACP Family Bookstore for personal prayer and daily devotional use.
• Lectionary Liturgical readings and biblical texts for Mass celebrations published by ACP for use throughout the Catholic liturgical year.
• Audio Recordings (Cassettes and CDs) Cassette and CD audio recordings of Catholic liturgical music offered through ACP's catalog and bookstore for choirs and individual purchasers.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ave Maria Press: Ave Maria Press publishes Catholic books, prayer resources, and parish ministry materials. It overlaps with ACP's ACP Family Bookstore and Library offerings, competing for Catholic parishes, ministry leaders, and individual Catholic readers.
• Liturgical Press: Liturgical Press is a Catholic book publisher producing scholarly, liturgical, and pastoral titles including works on liturgy, sacraments, and theology. It competes with ACP's book and library offerings for parish, academic, and individual Catholic readers.
• Catholic Book Publishing Corp: Catholic Book Publishing Corp produces Catholic Bibles, missals, prayer books, and liturgical editions. It directly competes with ACP's hymnal, missal, and Bible products, serving similar parish and individual customers.
• Pauline Books & Media: Pauline Books & Media is a Catholic publisher producing books, prayer resources, and media on Catholic spirituality and catechesis. It competes with ACP's broader book and prayer offerings for Catholic parishes, schools, and individual readers.
• GIA Publications: GIA Publications is a major Catholic music publisher producing hymnals, choral octavos, and worship resources. It competes head-to-head with ACP in Catholic choral music and hymnal offerings, serving similar parish and choir customers with comparable product categories.
• World Library Publications: World Library Publications produces Catholic hymnals, missals, and music resources for parishes and schools. It competes with ACP across hymnals and liturgical music, with overlapping choir and parish customers.
• Ignatius Press: Ignatius Press publishes Catholic theology, apologetics, and spiritual reading. It overlaps with ACP's ACP Library and theological resources, competing for theologically-engaged Catholic readers and parish study groups.
• Liguori Publications: Liguori Publications produces Catholic books, pamphlets, and pastoral resources for parishes and individuals. It competes with ACP's Catholic book and devotional offerings for parish ministry leaders and lay Catholics.
• Oregon Catholic Press: Oregon Catholic Press is a leading Catholic liturgical music publisher producing hymnals, missals, octavos, and choral music for Catholic parishes and choirs. It directly competes with American Catholic Press in hymnals, missalette-style resources, and choral sheet music, with overlapping customer base of parishes, choirs, and individual Catholics.
• J.S. Paluch Company: J.S. Paluch is a Catholic publisher historically known for its Seasonal Missalette, which directly competes with ACP's Leaflet Missal. Both companies target Catholic parishes and individuals with pew missalettes and parish support materials.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leaflet-missal-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 American Catholic Press