ACP Inducts Alstott, Janus, Raffio into Hall of Fame, Gives Outstanding Service Award to Corbett
BALTIMORE, MD — “The Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) is very proud to announce its three latest Hall of Fame inductees, Owen Alstott from OCP, Fr. Mark-David Janus from Paulist Press, and Michael Raffio, most recently with Pflaum Publishing Group, and the 2025 recipient of the Outstanding Service Award, Mark Corbett from Paulist Press,” noted Wade Wisler, ACP president.
All four were honored at the 2025 ACP annual meeting during a special evening reception on May 1 in Naperville, IL.
Through their dedicated commitment to Catholic publishing, all three 2025 inductees into the ACP Hall of Fame—Alstott, Janus, and Raffio—have left significant and enduring marks on the Catholic publishing industry. Alstott’s settings of the psalms have been heard and sung by thousands over the years and will continue to do so. Both Janus and Raffio’s lead collaborative efforts, Janus at Paulist Press and Raffio between ACP and the Subcommittee on the Catechism, that enabled those organizations to work more effectively and better serve their Gospel-based missions. Corbett, the sole Outstanding Service Award recipient, has shown what it means to serve others not only in his official role, but also as part of a larger team.
Owen Alstott’s induction into the ACP Hall of Fame honors his lifetime and professional dedication to the advancement of liturgical publishing. Alstott is admired by many in the industry and the richness of his service has benefited the Church beyond measure. In the 1960s, Alstott entered Mt. Angel Seminary where he did his high school studies, his college degree in philosophy and his post-graduate studies in theology. In 1975, Owen began working at Oregon Catholic Press (OCP), renewing and upgrading its liturgical music offerings. He worked in various positions at OCP from 1975 until 1992, including assistant music editor, music editor, editor of missal publications, and, finally, as publisher of OCP. He is the author of the Heritage Mass and the psalms and Gospel Acclamations in Respond & Acclaim.
Fr. Mark-David Janus, currently publisher and president emeritus, has used his vast academic and pastoral experience to lead Paulist Press with intelligence, business acumen, and a pastoral sense that has helped the Paulist Fathers’ mission at the intersection of faith and culture to flourish. Janus came to Paulist Press as president and publisher at a difficult time when the Press was challenged internally and within the publishing industry. Faced with the declining health of his predecessor, Janus answered his community’s call to lead the Press, a position that did not immediately align with his training as a psychologist nor his previous experience in clinical, academic, and pastoral work. He gathered around him a new, dynamic board of directors with strong publishing experience and instituted a collaborative leadership style that strengthened the Press’s operating function. Major accomplishments as publisher include the compilation and release of The Paulist Biblical Commentary and building strong relationships with the international church and publishers.
Michael Raffio recently retired from Pflaum Publishing Group, a division of Bayard, after 13 years, bringing extensive experience in leading the sales teams. Before joining Bayard, Raffio held leadership roles at RCL Benziger, Peter Li Education Group, and Franciscan Communications. He also served as President of the Association of Catholic Publishers from 2018-2024 where he provided important leadership in building and strengthening the relationship between the Catholic curriculum publishers and the USCCB bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catechism. Raffio’s induction into the ACP Hall of Fame reflects his deep commitment to leading efforts to bring meaningful catechetical materials to Catholic parishes and helping others understand their role in the mission of the Church.
Mark Corbett receives the Outstanding Service Award to acknowledge his successful management and oversight of a major transition at Paulist Press with its fulfillment partner which included a very large and complex technology integration. This included transferring and receiving 1,600 active Paulist Press titles. Corbett has held the Information Technology managerial position at Paulist Press for the past twenty years. In addition to his IT duties, he has also served as our warehouse and physical plant manager for the past five years.
The Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) is a membership organization of Catholic publishers, those who provide services to Catholic publishers, and individuals who work with Catholic publishers. The ACP provides opportunities for members to further the Catholic publishing industry, promote Catholic publishing and reading, and engage those they interact with including retailers, pastoral leaders, individual customers, and staff.