Kristi McDonald Named Associate Publisher of New Imprint
NASHVILLE (August 10, 2026) — HarperCollins Christian Publishing today announced the launch of Harper Catholic, a new imprint dedicated to serving Catholic readers, authors, booksellers, parishes, and institutions. Harper Catholic will be led by Kristi McDonald, who joins HCCP as Associate Publisher of the new imprint.
The launch of Harper Catholic builds on HCCP’s growing work in the Catholic market, including the success of Catholic Bible Press, and expands the company’s Catholic publishing program beyond Bibles into trade books, spiritual classics, theology, devotional works, memoir, cultural engagement, and leading voices in the Catholic Church today.
“Catholic Bible Press, with its rapid growth and success over the past six years, has demonstrated the strength of HCCP’s commitment to serving Catholic readers with excellence, care, and purpose,” said Mark Schoenwald, President and CEO of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. “With Harper Catholic, we are extending that mission into a broader publishing program, building on a strong foundation while creating new opportunities to serve the Church and reach readers around the world.”
McDonald brings more than fifteen years of experience in Catholic publishing, acquisitions, editorial development, and author relationship management. Most recently, she served as Content Editor at Hallow, where she provided editorial leadership for the prayer app’s original content and helped develop scripts for a range of spiritual formation experiences. Previously, she spent fourteen years at Ave Maria Press, advancing through a series of editorial and acquisitions roles before serving as Executive Editor of Trade. There, she led the development and strategic direction of the trade book program, acquired and edited major Catholic authors, and helped launch many of the press’s strongest-performing titles of the past decade.
“I am honored to help launch Harper Catholic and to build a publishing home for books that help readers grow closer to God, live the sacramental life, and encounter Christ more fully in the ordinary rhythms of their days,” said McDonald. “Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with gifted Catholic authors and helping them bring timely, faithful, and compelling ideas to readers hungry for truth and hope. I look forward to building those relationships at Harper Catholic, discovering both established and emerging voices, and developing books that draw from the richness of Catholicism—Scripture, the sacraments, the lives of the saints—while speaking to the real questions and spiritual longings of readers today.”
In this role, McDonald will spearhead the development of Harper Catholic’s frontlist publishing strategy, acquire and develop new authors and projects, cultivate relationships with Catholic leaders and institutions, and pursue key partnerships for long-term growth. She will also help define the imprint’s editorial and brand identity and collaborate closely with HCCP’s sales and marketing teams.
Harper Catholic will publish accessible, faithful, relevant, and intellectually substantial books for Catholic readers across generations and stages of spiritual life, including works in spirituality, theology, prayer, devotional reading, biography, culture, and practical Christian living. The imprint is now actively considering new proposals from authors and literary agents and will announce its first acquisitions and publishing plans in the coming months.
About Harper Catholic
Harper Catholic is an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing dedicated to publishing books that serve Catholic readers, authors, parishes, booksellers, and institutions. Building on HCCP’s work in the Catholic market through Catholic Bible Press, Harper Catholic publishes contemporary Catholic voices, theology, prayer and devotional works, memoir, cultural engagement, and books for faithful living.
About HarperCollins Christian Publishing
HarperCollins Christian Publishing is the world’s leading Christian publisher and is home to renowned brands including Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. HCCP publishes bestselling Bibles, inspirational books, children’s books, academic resources, curriculum, gift books, audio, and digital content for the Christian market. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with an office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, HCCP is part of HarperCollins Publishers.
Media Contact:
Amy Morris
Director of Publicity
amy.morris@harpercollins.com
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