It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 5 years since I started 1P5. It was about this time of the year back in 2014 that the idea for a website that would help anchor the faithful against the coming storm was constantly on my mind.
At the time, I was praying Compline from the 1962 Divine Office with my little boys at night. Some of them were having nightmares, and there were prayers in the old office that seemed specifically targeted to help them to sleep in peace. Prayers like, “Protect us, Lord, while we are awake and safeguard us while we sleep; that we may keep watch with Christ, and rest in peace…”
And every night, at the very beginning of the office, was this:
Short reading
1 Pet 5:8-9
Brothers: Be sober and watch: because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist ye, strong in faith:
V. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
R. Thanks be to God.
When it came time for me to come up with a name for the new website, all I could think about was that passage, and the need to resist the roaring lion, the devourer of souls. It was such a strong feeling that I was unable to come up with any alternative ideas.
So I went with it. OnePeterFive.
When we launched in August of that same year, I had the unmistakable sense that we were embarking upon something important, and it seemed clear to me that it was what God wanted me to do at that time. But I had no real idea just how big it would become — or what a difference it would make.
When we began our work of reminding Catholics of our culture and tradition while simultaneously looking unflinchingly at the agenda of the new papacy, very few others were doing the same work, or were willing to join us. But we kept on, saying what we believed needed to be said, shining the light of truth into the darkness, and over time, we not only moved the needle, we played a major role in changing the conversation.
We struggled financially in the beginning because nobody had ever heard of us, and a lot of people thought we were actually trying to harm the Church, not help it. But over the past few years, opinions have changed, and countless people have been waking up.
The irony is that lately, we’ve begun to struggle financially again because we’ve become just one of many now saying the same things. We are no longer one of a few Catholic publications willing to take the crisis by the horns, no matter how unpopular it makes us. Every day, the coalition of alternative Catholic media grows stronger and more numerous, and that’s a win for the faithful, and a real challenge for the underhanded agenda in Rome.
But it’s got us in a bit of a bind.
Compared to last year, we’ve brought in less in donations every month except one so far. We have only hit our fundraising goal once in 2019, and that time just barely. Our expenses have gone up, but we have kept our fundraising goal the same for the past three years.
The bottom line is: if you still find the work we do here valuable, we still need your help to do it.
I’ve always said that this is God’s project. I believed He inspired it, I believe He blessed it, and if He decides we’ve done as much good as we’re going to do, then that’ll be the end of it. It’s out of my hands. All we can do is our best, as we put our faith in His guidance and protection. I’ve always said we operate on the Matthew 6:33 principle, and that hasn’t changed. “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
I also want to take a moment to say that our financial supporters are some of the most amazing people in the world. They have been so generous over the years, and they’re never sparing with a kind word or a note of encouragement. That intrepid few thousand who have kept us going have made it possible for us to provide our content to millions of Catholics, free of charge. And based on what we hear from readers, that’s been pretty important to many of you.
I can never say it enough, but thank you so much to each and every one of you who have contributed to this enterprise. I hope that everyone who enjoys the work we do here but have not yet been able to support us will say a prayer or two for those who have. They are the unsung heroes of OnePeterFive.
So without further ado, here’s the pitch I’ve come to make: Right now, we’re in financial trouble. Last month, we came up 25% short of our fundraising goal.This month, we’re 62% short, and we’re already half way through June. Each month we come up short makes things tighter the next. We only need to raise $13,000 to hit our goal. We’ve had 15,000 people visit the website just today. Just a dollar from everyone who reads this would be enough.
We need your support. We really can’t do this without you.
If you’ve already given this month – thank you! If you’ve not done so yet, we hope we can count on your generosity. If you can’t, we hope you’ll think of us next time.
The least favorite part of my job is coming to you like this, asking you for help. At the same time, I’ve been blessed for the past five years to have this work be my full-time job, so that’s a pretty good tradeoff. When I was a freelance writer, sending articles to this or that Catholic publication, I never thought I’d have the chance to throw everything I have into the fight for the Church. You’ve made that possible, and no matter what happens we did this together.
Please remember that we are a tax-exempt organization, and your gifts in support of our work are deductible as applicable by law. No donation is too small, or too large. It’s possible to contribute through our online form, or through the mail. We know our audience is big and generous enough to carry us through. We just need you to be God’s instruments in furthering this apostolate.
We hope you will!
Thank you for your support, and God bless you!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on Us!
In Christ,
Steve Skojec
Publisher & Executive Director
OnePeterFive.com
