Lectio Divina

What Lectio Divina does

Lectio Divina (Newry Dominican) is a faith-based community programme operated under the Dominican Order from the Lectio Centre at 35 Dominic Street, Newry, Northern Ireland. Founded in 2011 by Fr. Joseph Ralph O.P., it teaches and practises the ancient Christian method of "Sacred Reading" of Scripture through small, recurring communities that meet for twenty weeks of the Church year across the Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and Michaelmas seasons, with weekly introductory sessions offered on Wednesdays at 11:30 am and Thursdays at 8:15 pm. The programme now comprises ten communities drawing from St. Catherine's parish and the wider Christian community in Northern Ireland.

The offering consists of in-person community gatherings at the Lectio Centre, a structured monthly educational programme for servers and guides, and a portfolio of freely distributed digital resources including the "Living the Word" and "Come to the Banquet" PDF leaflets covering Sunday Gospel readings across liturgical years A, B, and C, plus an audio podcast available on Spotify. There is no proprietary technology platform; distribution relies on a standard WordPress website, email contact, and podcast hosting. Governance is provided by a small team led by Director Fr. Joseph Ralph O.P. and Prior Fr. David O.P., supported by a Bursar, Secretary, Vice Chair, Lectio co-ordinator, board members, and volunteers.

The entity operates as a non-profit religious ministry rather than a commercial business. Revenue, where it exists, is derived from voluntary contributions and donations; no formal pricing or fees are charged for participation or access to materials, and no headcount or financial disclosures are published. Distribution and growth are entirely community-led and word-of-mouth within the Dominican parish network and adjacent Catholic communities.

Name

Lectio Divina

Legal name

Lectio Divina (Newry Dominican)

Website

https://lectio.newrydominican.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lectio Divina (Newry Dominican) is a Dominican-led faith programme in Newry, Northern Ireland, running ten sacred Scripture-reading communities that meet seasonally at the Lectio Centre and distribute free digital resources and a Spotify podcast.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Spiritual Formation Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Spiritual formation programmes
• Scripture prayer communities
• Catholic bible study
• Religious education resources
• Lectio divina ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Newry

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary contributions/donations: As a religious/spiritual programme run by the Dominican community, Lectio Divina operates through voluntary contributions and donations rather than commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lectio Divina operates a community-based Scripture prayer and Bible study programme at the Lectio Centre in Newry, Northern Ireland, offering the ancient four-stage Lectio Divina method (Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation) through ten in-person communities meeting across the Church year. The programme is supplemented by free downloadable PDF resource leaflets (Living the Word, Come to the Banquet, Resource Leaflets), a monthly training programme for servers and guides, and an audio podcast on Spotify.

Product overview

Lectio Divina (Newry Dominican) is a faith-based educational initiative offering the ancient spiritual practice of sacred Bible reading through community gatherings, published resources, and audio content. The core offering consists of the Lectio Divina Programme conducted at the Lectio Centre in Newry, supplemented by Living the Word and Come to the Banquet (C2B) PDF resource leaflets for various liturgical seasons and feast days, along with a podcast available on Spotify. The organisation serves multiple communities meeting throughout the Church year (Advent, Lent, Pentecost, and Michaelmas) and provides introductory sessions for beginners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lectio Divina Programme Community-based spiritual practice of reading and praying with Scripture, taught through in-person community gatherings and introductory sessions at the Lectio Centre in Newry for individuals seeking deeper engagement with the Gospel.
• Living the Word Weekly and seasonal Bible study materials published as PDFs for various Sundays and feast days across liturgical years A, B, and C, providing Lectio Divina guides for Gospel readings.
• Come to the Banquet (C2B) Resource leaflets providing Lectio Divina guides for Gospel readings, covering various Sundays in Ordinary Time, Advent, Lent, and feast days.
• Lectio Divina Podcast Audio podcast recordings available on Spotify, providing Lectio Divina reflections and teachings for ongoing programme content.
• Resource Leaflets Archived and current PDF leaflets providing guided Lectio Divina reflections for various liturgical seasons including Lent, Advent, and Ordinary Time.
• Exploring Together the Methods and Principles of Lectio Divina Programme Monthly educational programme for servers and guides, held on the 3rd Saturday of each month (10:30am-12:30pm) at the Lectio Centre, teaching the methods and principles of Lectio Divina.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ten communities formed and growing each year since 2011

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Newry Dominican CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011The Lectio Divina programme is an integral part of the Newry Dominican Community, founded by Fr. Joseph Ralph O.P. in 2011. The programme operates from the Lectio Centre at the Dominican Priory and is connected to the main Dominican site (newrydominican.com).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• EWTN: Global Catholic broadcasting network offering TV, radio, and digital content including Scripture reflections, prayer programming, and formation resources. Comparable as a broad Catholic media incumbent that also distributes Lectio Divina-style content to a wide audience.
• Relevant Radio: Catholic talk radio network providing faith-based programming, Scripture reflection, and spiritual formation content. Comparable in its use of audio (matching Lectio Divina's Spotify podcast) to deliver Catholic spiritual content at scale.

Direct peers

• Word on Fire: Catholic media ministry producing Scripture commentary, video content, and parish-based study resources led by Bishop Robert Barron. Comparable because it produces Catholic formation content and supports parish-level engagement with the Word.
• Little Rock Scripture Study: Catholic Bible study programme offering small-group materials, leader guides, and parish-based formation resources. Closely comparable to Lectio Divina's model of forming small community groups around guided Scripture engagement, and its published study guides parallel the Living the Word leaflets.
• The Great Adventure Bible Study: Catholic Bible study programme created by Jeff Cavins offering chronological Scripture reading plans, video teaching, and small-group materials. Directly comparable because it provides structured parish and small-group Bible formation resources similar to Lectio Divina's community-based approach.
• Ascension Press: Catholic media ministry producing Bible study programmes (e.g., 'The Great Adventure'), video content, podcasts, and the Ascension app. Directly comparable because it offers structured Catholic Scripture formation programmes with both digital and small-group community components.
• Hallow: Catholic prayer and Scripture meditation app that delivers daily Lectio Divina-style guided sessions, audio content, and community features to a global audience. Highly comparable as it offers the same core spiritual practice (sacred reading and prayer) but through a digital-first, consumer-scale model.

Others

• Sadlier Religion: Long-established publisher of Catholic religious education textbooks, catechetical materials, and parish/school formation resources. Comparable as a publishing and curriculum provider in the Catholic religious education space, though operating at scale in institutional rather than community settings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lectio-divina

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Lectio Divina