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WASHINGTON (April 23, 2000) -- Paul K. Henderson has been named director of the U.S. Catholic Conference Office for Publishing and Promotion Services (OPPS).
He succeeds Richard W. Daw, who retires June 30, after 24 years with the bishops' conference, first as editor in chief of Catholic News Service, 1976-1989, then as Secretary for Communications, 1989-1994, until his current position as director of OPPS, 1994-2000.
Henderson currently heads the Bishops' Office for the Third Millennium and Jubilee Year 2000, and will assume his new position January 2, 2001. In the interim, OPPS will be headed by Bruce Egnew, the USCC Associate General Secretary to whom OPPS reports.
Henderson holds a master's degree in management and administration from the University of Maryland University College and master's degrees in liturgy and theology from The Catholic University of America.
Henderson joined the bishops' conference in 1988 as a member of the staff of the Secretariat for Family, Laity, Women and Youth to oversee activities for youth and young adults and was named associate director in 1994.
In addition to his work for the Secretariat and Millennium office, Henderson has played a key role in organizing international and national events. He was head of programming for World Youth Day '93, the much heralded event in Denver where Pope John Paul II met with a half million youth. He also worked with the Pontifical Council for the Laity on earlier World Youth Days in Spain and Poland. In 1999 he coordinated programming for the National Jubilee Justice meeting in Los Angeles, and currently is overseeing logistics and budget for Encuentro 2000: Many Faces in God's House, the U.S. Bishops' jubilee year event slated for July 6-9, in Los Angeles.
In 1996, Pope John Paul II named him to a five-year term on the Pontifical Council for the Laity.
Henderson frequently speaks on the church and young people and on jubilee activities. He has written for several publications including Modern Liturgy and Pastoral Musician. He is an adviser to Living Light, the journal of the U.S. bishops' Department of Education.
Msgr. Dennis M. Schnurr, General Secretary for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/ U.S. Catholic Conference, said Henderson's taking the position in January will let him complete his work with Encuentro 2000 in July and finish the work of the Millennium/Jubilee Office through December. He thanked Henderson for accepting this newest challenge.
"I wish to express my gratitude to Paul Henderson for accepting this position," Msgr. Schnurr said. "Paul brings business acumen, a sense of the Church and creativity to this vital position in a field which is ever-changing."
OPPS manages the NCCB/USCC publishing, promotion and copyright activity, publishes Conference documents and videos and assists in the promotion of national collections. In 1999, it published 65 documents, three videos, and promotional materials for national collections, including the collections of the National Religious Retirement Office, which collects about $30 million annually, and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, which collects about $16 million annually.