A Brief History and a Future Glimpse of ONEING

A key publication of CAC Publishing is ONEING—CAC’s spiritual journal, which is read by CAC constituents in fifty-five countries. The journal includes numerous well-known authors and intentionally introduces new voices through its varied themes. While many contributors to the journal have historically been Fr. Richard’s peers, it’s exciting to publish the work of new generations of writers who have been inspired by and complement Fr. Richard’s teachings.

ONEING evolved, together with the Mendicant, from Radical Grace, the newsletter Fr. Richard started in 1987, the year he founded the CAC. Beginning with ONEING’s inception in the spring of 2013, Fr. Richard has worked closely on thematic decision making and contributor selection. Since the first issue of the journal was released, Fr. Richard has written the Introduction for each biannual issue, has recommended many of the stellar authors and poets who have graced the pages of the journal, and has contributed numerous articles himself. His wisdom and insights are woven throughout each issue of ONEING.

After several ideas for the journal’s title were considered, the publication was named ONEING after an old English word used by Fr. Richard’s beloved mystic Julian of Norwich (1342–1416), “to describe the encounter between God and the soul.” In addition to these words, Fr. Richard wrote the following, which is imprinted on the copyright page of every issue of ONEING:

The Center for Action and Contemplation proudly borrows the word [oneing] to express the divine unity that stands behind all of the divisions, dichotomies, and dualisms in the world. We pray and publish with Jesus’ words, “that all may be one” (John 17:21).

With these powerful words in mind, and as Fr. Richard transitions from his post as the central voice of the CAC and of ONEING, Fr. John Dear, a world-renowned peace and social justice activist and Fr. Richard’s dear friend, was invited to be the first new voice to introduce an issue of ONEING. Fr. Richard is very pleased that Fr. John Dear will introduce the Fall 2022 issue of ONEING and he strongly supports the theme of “Nonviolence.”

It will be a new experience to have someone other than Fr. Richard introduce each issue of ONEING. However, we will continue to include his voice by excerpting relevant selections from his numerous books and articles. It is an honor to produce ONEING and the many other publications offered by CAC Publishing. I want to thank the ONEING advisory board and our readership for your ongoing support of this important component of CAC’s programmatic offerings!

VANESSA GUERIN is Director of Publications for the Center for Action and Contemplation and has been editing and managing CAC publications since 2005. In addition to handling publications, she has organized volunteers, facilitated conferences, proofreads Richard’s Rohr’s Daily Meditations, and is updating several of Fr. Richard’s books for Franciscan Media.

This reflection appears in the Spring 2022 issue of the Mendicant, our quarterly donor newsletter.