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Dear Reader,

Last April, I joined First Things as director of advancement. With Fall, the season of harvest, reflection and change, upon us, I think a review is appropriate. On this Gratitude Tuesday let's look at what we have accomplished. That will help us think about our future.

2025 has seen us sponsor six speakers for the First Things Lecture series, the final of which being a discussion on the future of higher education ([link removed]) at the University of Dallas. We hosted our annual Intellectual Retreat, addressing faith and technology ([link removed]) . Last month, we put on our capstone event, the Erasmus Lecture ([link removed]) , featuring Bishop Eric Varden.

During 2025, we expanded events at the First Things office, hosting book launch discussions for Clare Morell and Leah Libresco Sargeant; monthly film nights with discussions guided by our editors; and a celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. From Washington, D.C., to Sacramento our staff have traveled far and wide, ensuring the the mission of First Things is represented at events, conferences, and lectures throughout the country.

Our approach to publication has undergone a transformation as well. We launched a redesigned website and slate of newsletters, all with the elevated look and feel of our elegant magazine. Our latest entry, Jim Keating's The Fourth Watch ([link removed]) , will cover Catholicism from a uniquely First Things perspective.

Our podcasts have grown in popularity, and we added a new interview series, While We’re At It ([link removed]) . The annual First Things poetry prize saw the most submissions to date, with the beautifully written vignette “Madonna and Child ([link removed]) ” by T. O. Brandon winning the competition. Our social media presence is visually engaging, attracting a younger and more intellectually engaged audience.

And, as you know so well, our editorial staff continues to deliver the best writings and most compelling ideas. We remain the flagship publication for religious and social conservatives.
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I hope you are as encouraged by these developments as I am. Demand for what First Things has to offer is growing. The momentum we have today is, in large part, thanks to you. Our community of readers and members is fiercely loyal and famously generous. For that, the staff and I are eternally grateful.

As I turn my attention toward the future, I want you to know something important: next year we plan to do more. More to reach young people who so desperately seek truth and substance. More to aid our spiritual leaders in their ministries. More to guide society back toward faith, family, and flag.

To advance the mission of First Things, I ask you for your continued charitable support. We receive more than a third of what we need to publish the magazine and execute our programming in the month of December alone. And we believe that inviting your support is the best way to involve you more deeply in our mission and our work as a member and partner, not a mere customer.

Over the coming month, along with editor R. R. Reno, I will share additional details of our plans for 2026, which include the launch of a literary quarterly Portico. (Our intent is to inform you of our exciting future, not flood your inbox.)

Your support can lay the foundation necessary for continued growth and influence. For all of you who have subscribed, supported, and shared First Things, thank you. The harvest has been bountiful, but there is so much more we must do. I hope you will be a partner in this exciting venture, and we thank you for your support.
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With gratitude,
Matteo Moran's signature


** MATTEO MORAN
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Director of Advancement
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