OCP celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022. Centennial festivities included special concerts and dinners at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in March and the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) convention in Louisville in July. But the highlight was the beautiful anniversary Mass celebrated in November at the OCP facility in Portland, Oregon. There, current employees, retired employees, friends and family gathered to receive the holy Eucharist and sing our heartfelt thanks and praise to God for 100 years of service to the Catholic Church.
We have much to be grateful for: the many people who have worked so hard and given so much in support of OCP’s publishing mission, our many loyal parish and musician customers, the vast catalog of music that gives voice to our sung prayer and worship. And behind all the human enterprise, whether the composing and editing of hymns or the packing of boxes and rehearsing of music, is the grace of God. We can do nothing without our heavenly Father; the love and mercy of Jesus make all things possible; the Holy Spirit empowers, guides and directs us. Glory and praise to God forever!
Did I mention our loyal customers? Our mission is to “bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all” and to “help people encounter God and his love.” We can’t do that without our faithful, hardworking choir directors and parish musicians. They are the ones who bring our Scripture-based songs to their assemblies, enabling them to pray and sing with full, conscious and active participation in the holy Mass.
Thank you to all who helped us to celebrate this important milestone in our company’s history. Our work continues, as it must. The world needs God, the Gospel and the healing and peace of Christ now more than ever. At the same time, the needs of the Church and music ministries keep evolving. Ever responsive to those changing needs, OCP continues to adapt and expand its offerings, particularly in terms of serving the Hispanic Catholic community and providing new technology in support of liturgical ministries.
As the OCP family begins its second 100 years of ministry and service, please pray with and for us that God will continue to bless our efforts, to the glory of his holy name.
Wade Wisler currently serves as the Publisher of OCP. During his 20-plus years at OCP, he has held the roles of Copywriter, Worship Publications Manager and Director of Music Development and Outreach, among others. Wade’s background as a musician and a Spanish speaker have been essential in every one of these roles, and his devotion to the Catholic Church is evident in all aspects of his life.