The following is the text of a letter sent to all Compass subscribers, describing Compass's current financial situation.

Letter to Compass Readers

Compass, A Jesuit Journal
P.O. Box 400, Station F
Toronto, ON M4Y 2L8


March 17, 1997

Dear Compass reader,

You may have heard, through reports in the press, that Compass's future is in doubt. As these reports have correctly indicated, the Jesuits have decided to end their funding of Compass. For this reason, the May/June issue will be Compass's last as a Jesuit journal.

Compass's editorial board and production team believe that the magazine still offers a valuable alternative voice among today's media, and we are committed to exploring all possible options for keeping it alive under new sponsorship. While these explorations are still in their early stages, the initial responses give us hope that an arrangement will be found to allow Compass to continue.

Publishing a small magazine, outside the commercial mainstream, is never easy. Being a Jesuit publication over the last fourteen years has been one of Compass's greatest assets, in both tangible and intangible ways. The Jesuits' decision to stop publishing Compass has been made necessary by a financial crisis that has caused them to withdraw from their involvement in a number of worthwhile and cherished projects. We lament the loss of all of this good work by the Jesuits in the church and society.

This situation does not preclude non-Jesuit sponsorship for these projects, including Compass. We believe that there are others who appreciate the importance of sustaining a journal of thoughtful Catholic reflection on the religious and secular world, and Compass has also been blessed with an extraordinary degree of loyalty and support from you, our readers. Your letters, the high subscription renewal rate, the information you gave us through our readers' survey, and your generous response to our annual requests for financial help have all been indications of that support. It is because we know Compass matters to you that it is important to us to keep it alive.

Your help is especially significant at this critical moment in Compass's existence. Please send us -- by post (see address above), fax (416-921-1864) or e-mail -- letters of support for Compass's continued publication. Such letters can be very useful in making a case for Compass with potential sponsors and investors. We would also greatly appreciate any suggestions or contacts you might have that could be helpful in working out a new arrangement for Compass.

We will keep you informed of any new developments as they happen. We hope to have something more concrete to announce in the May/June issue. If you have access to the World Wide Web, watch our Web site for more frequent updates.

I hope to hear from you -- and to continue providing you with a magazine you find enjoyable and enlightening.

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