Record Staff Report
ST. MEINARD, Ind. — The Abbey Press, operated by St. Meinrad Archabbey in Southern Indiana since 1867, announced earlier this month that it will close two of its main divisions — Trade Marketing and Printing — in mid-2017.
The Publications Division, which produces the CareNotes line of booklets, Elf-help and other books, and Deacon Digest magazine, will remain open.
The closings will affect 71 full-time and part-time employees. Employees will receive severance packages and will also have access to “employment and counseling services to assist with the transition,” a news release from St. Meinrad said. The closings are expected to be completed by June 30.
Archabbot Kurt Stasiak said the decision to close the two Abbey Press divisions was “a difficult one” and noted the press’s long “history of service and outreach to people of faith.”
In recent years, the release said, Abbey Press has struggled to overcome challenges that include “rising costs, changing technology, overseas suppliers and declining print and religious gift store markets.”
