IMPACT and Founder Turn 40

Impact, succinctly dubbed— its current drophead so says—as the “Asian Magazine for Human Transformation,” turns 40 this year. And so thus with its revered founder, Most Rev, Julio Xavier Labayen, OCD, bishop emeritus of the Prelature of Infanta in the eastern province of Quezon, who likewise this year is marking the 40th anniversary of his episcopal ordination.

At its inception 40 years ago, Bishop Labayen, then as the first national director of the National Secretariat for Social Action of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and his editor, Fr. Cornelius Breed, a Dutch missionary, unfalteringly christened the magazine, IMPACT, adopting the same moniker of a newsletter published by the participating clergy of the Priests Institute of Social Action (PISA) held in Hong Kong in August of 1965. IMPACT’s maiden issue thus reeled on April 1966, some few weeks only after the birth of NASSA.

“IMPACT,” recounts now the 79-year old Labayen, “was founded to serve as the voice of the social action program in every realm of our society. We wanted to motivate and inspire those in leading positions in Asia to focus on ways and means of attaining human, social and economic transformation and development.” Read more, click here!

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