Legionaires Purchase Last Catholic Newspaper

The Legionaires of Christ have purchased "The Catholic Pundit," the last independent Catholic
newspaper in the United States.

"I tried to hold out as long as I could, even publishing it secretly in my basement," said
Stephen Vedner, who teaches English and journalism at Our Lady of Sorrow School in Akron, Ohio. "My neighbor down the street,
who is in Regnum Christi, ratted me out, though." Vedner wrote, edited and published the newspaper once a week, printing out hundreds of copies
on a five-year old laser printer, and distributing them for free at his Knights of Columbus meetings.

Vedner said he didn't want to sell the paper, but he got tired of phone calls and visits from
the Legionaires, asking him to sell. "In the end, they just wore me out."
The Legionaires currently own Our Sunday Visitor, Crisis, and National Catholic Register.
The religious group bought National Catholic Reporter, Time Magazine, The Wanderer, Catholic Mass
Magazine, and Guideposts last month.