About Us

'A journey from quill to digital' – this phrase highlights the longevity of the 175-year-long ongoing journey of the ‘The Examiner Catholic Newsweekly’ published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Mumbai. The phrase also hints at the varied instruments of the medium of communication used during the period of its publication.

The Examiner began in the year 1850 as a journalistic venture by small group of lay people and priests to have a pamphlet to disseminate the teachings of the Catholic faith and snippets of important Christian events happing in the local and universal Church. It was eventually taken-over as a religious-mouthpiece of the Archdiocese of Bombay by Bishop A. Hartmann.

The first lead article titled ‘Dare to dream’ of this religious newspaper was written by an Italian priest Fr. Ignatius Persico O.C. This editorial was a single page printed newsletter in cursive writing. It resembled a hand-written piece as if with a quill. Unfortunately, the only surviving copies of these in the archives of The Examiner were destroyed in a fire in the year 2012. 

The editors of the initial years of the Catholic Weekly were priests hailing from different nationalities and religious orders who composed the magazine. Some of them were editors known for their eminence in achieving high standards of journalism in English. Among these the last were foreign Jesuit priest-editors, who served for about 88 years, before the Indian priests took over. Special mention needs to be made of Fr. Earnest Hull - an erstwhile editor of The Examiner, between 1903 and 1924. He was felicitated with the highest award in international journalism.

The first Indian editor who took over was a diocesan priest, Fr Valerian Gracias from 1938-40. He later became a Cardinal, the first Indian to be promoted to this high rank amongst the hierarchy of the ecclesiastical dignitaries of the Church. He was succeeded by Msgr. Joseph A. Lobo an editor who held post for 6 yrs. He was an intellectual well versed in matters of faith. The next was Fr Benedict M. Aguiar who was an editor par excellence (for 33 yrs) in writing brilliant articles on a variety of topics of faith and covering significant national and international events of the universal Church. His erudite insights on subjects such as politics, finance, and social issues in the light of Christian Faith were a delight to the avid readers of the Examiner.

After its 150th year, The Examiner introduced many changes in terms of size, number of pages and evolving formats. It also included pictorials and attractive colour page covers by a professional design and layout artist. This went a long way in boosting the sales of the examiner copies. More space was allotted to advertisements in the magazine after its 150th anniversary. The digital edition started 15 years ago. The price of each copy had to be raised to meet the cost of printing.

Despite many obstacles from incessant rain or floods, communal riots or frequent strikes calling for shutdowns by labour unions, the weekly publication remained uninterrupted. Even on the unforgettable day of a raging fire caused by an electric short-circuit that gutted the office, the publication was not missed. Most of these happenings are attributed to the tenure of Fr Anthony Charanghat. He has been associated with the Examiner for 50 years and was at the helm of the newsweekly for 30 years from 1994 to 2024. 

The current ongoing editorial tenure of Fr Joshan Rodrigues has seen a number of initiatives including a Digital First approach. The website, e-paper and social media channels of the Examiner have all been updated, given a new look, and are constantly being fed with the latest and most relevant content for our readers. The print issue has seen the introduction of regular inside colour pages which bring to its readers local church events and happenings in striking visuals. New columns have been introduced such as Movie and Technology Reviews, the Family Page, Youth Pages, Catholic Profile and many others. The Editorial Board has been revamped and new members have taken their place. 

The Examiner continues to move forward incorporating new trends and showcasing the pastoral and spiritual life of the Archdiocese of Bombay, at the same time mirroring the life of the Universal Church.