Catholic Book Publishing Corp. is proud of its unique history and long-standing commitment to the publication of timely and timeless Catholic resources. Orphaned through a tragic car accident and with only a fifth grade education, John V. Cavalero founded Catholic Book Publishing Co. on 12th Street in New York City in 1911. Vowing to keep the family together, John, the oldest of six children, took full ownership after buying out his partner’s widow, and gladly welcomed brothers George and Louis into the business following World War I.
Under their direction and hard work, Catholic Book Publishing prospered in the printing and binding industry, working primarily with religious orders. In 1937 the company relocated to two floors of a nine-story facility on West 17th Street, eventually expanding to be the building’s sole occupant. Coinciding with the new location, the company printed its first Missals for Sunday worship and continued to add family members, including John’s sons Howard in 1939 and John, Jr. in 1942. Work on the Douay-Rheims Bible began in 1945, culminating in the publishing of the first Catholic Bible printed in the United States in 1949. Howard Cavalero, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, was instrumental in developing and launching the St. Joseph Sunday Missal in 1950 and soon thereafter the Daily Missal. On its way to becoming the premier Catholic publisher with over 300 employees, the company added children’s books to its growing list of prayer books in 1955 and then the first Baltimore Catechism in 1961.
With the change to the vernacular mandated by Vatican II, most Catholic publishers lost their backlist and in 1969 Catholic Book voluntarily downsized, selling off its equipment and sadly laying off a large number of the staff. While working with them to find other employment, the Cavalero family and gifted staff including Anthony Buono, who was employed by the firm for over 50 years, developed liturgical books in the vernacular that are the preferred editions to the present day. Despite the uncertainty and constant changes in the Church during this time, the St. Joseph New American Bible and the complete Lectionary were released in 1970, followed by the first complete Sacramentary in 1974 and the four-volume Liturgy of the Hours in the following year. In 1978 the company launched its first full-color St. Joseph Picture Books for children that now number 101 in the series.
Catholic Book Publishing’s third generation, Howard, Robert, Joan and Fran Cavalero, with their dedicated staff continue its long tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, and popular Catholic reading material. Now headquartered in Totowa, New Jersey, Catholic Book acquired Resurrection Press, a trade publisher of contemporary spirituality, healing, and parish resources based in Mineola, NY, in March 2000, and in 2003 added the World Catholic Press imprint to the Catholic Book family. In addition to its renowned liturgical books, Bibles, prayer books, and classic perennial favorites such as The Imitation of Christ, Lives of the Saints, New Catholic Picture Bible, and Picture Book of Saints, they are always involved in developing new products. Recent years have produced the addition of a number of novelty formats for children, including the Golden Book series, Rattle Books, the Hide and Slide series, Tab Books, Clock Books, and a Piano Book. The number of children’s Bibles now available stands at 11, offering a variety of sizes, illustrations, and storytelling styles appealing to a wide range of age groups and tastes.
The company’s 100th anniversary year, 2011, was marked by the release of St. Joseph Editions of the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE) in the spring and three editions of the new Roman Missal in the fall. In 2013, Catholic Book acquired The Regina Press, a 100-year-old fourth generation Catholic publisher of children’s books and Bibles, Communion books and adult Prayer books.
While our current catalog demonstrates the breadth of the Catholic Book line, it does not tell the whole story of what we publish.
A very important segment of our business — service to religious orders in the form of customized books — hearkens back to our roots. As noted above, in the early years, the company began to prosper because religious orders sought our printing and binding services. That time marked an important chapter in our history.
Today, as the largest and leading liturgical publisher, Catholic Book continues to assist religious orders by creating, developing, and producing custom editions for their communities. We work tirelessly to achieve a finished product that clergy and religious can truly call their own — whether the quantity is in the hundreds or the thousands. Our range of customization includes Altar Missals, Lectionaries, Rules, Founder Biographies, and Prayer Books.
All members of our dedicated editorial, design, and production teams share Catholic Book's commitment to quality. It is their attention to every detail that provides the customized care that has become the hallmark of these editions. Total customer satisfaction is the reward for their efforts. We deeply appreciate your ongoing trust and confidence in our products and look forward to meeting your needs for years to come.