Greg Erlandson, President and Publisher of the Publishing Division of Our Sunday Visitor, worked directly with Bishop John D’Arcy in his role as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Our Sunday Visitor until his retirement in 2010. Erlandson has this to say about Bishop D’Arcy’s legacy and his impact on Catholic publishing and the mission of the Church:
"Bishop John M. D’Arcy served for 24 years as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Our Sunday Visitor Inc. until his retirement as bishop in 2010. He was a good friend and a strong supporter of Our Sunday Visitor and its mission of service to the Church. As successor of Archbishop John Noll, the founder of Our Sunday Visitor, Bishop D'Arcy appreciated the history of this organization and its mission to form and inform Catholics as well as to defend the Church from unjust attack.
As chair of the Our Sunday Visitor board, and as the publisher of his own diocesan newspaper, Today’s Catholic, he was a strong supporter of the Catholic press and its role in the Church. He recognized that while formats and technologies may change, trustworthy Catholic publications play an essential role in Catholics’ knowledge of their faith and of their Church.
As bishop, his priorities included vocations, evangelization and catechesis, and these priorities were mirrored not only in the work of Our Sunday Visitor, but also in the priorities of the Our Sunday Visitor Institute, which fund Catholic programs throughout the diocese and around the country.
His impact on the formation of teachers and catechists in his diocese was extraordinary, and will remain a lasting legacy. With the help of the Our Sunday Visitor Institute, he developed programs for certification and master’s degrees for many of those who were charged with passing on the faith to the next generation.
Ultimately, we will remember him as a dedicated, generous priest and bishop who loved his people and was wholly committed to their service. His sense of humor was matched by the strength of his vision and pastoral concern. I count it an honor to have worked with him for so many years."
