Goodbye to YOUCAT founder, Bernhard Meuser

Goodbye to YOUCAT founder, Bernhard Meuser

One of the authors of the most sold bestseller among Catholics puts down his pen. However, we are sure that the ink won’t dry. With God’s creative spirit, we begin a new chapter in the History of YOUCAT.

YOUCAT says farewell. After thirteen years of intensive work as “father of YOUCAT”, the editor-in-chief, publisher and managing director Bernhard Meuser deservingly retires. His beneficial work has not only shaped the YOUCAT Foundation, but has also deeply influenced the entire Christian publishing sector worldwide. His ability to present complex subjects in an understandable manner and turn it into bestsellers highly deserves our respect and inspire us to take the beauty of the Catholic faith and make it accessible for a wider public.

Here you have access to the digital guestbook where you can leave your personal greetings to Bernhard Meuser.

The set of work published by Meuser throughout his time at YOUCAT is very impressive. An absolute hit is, without a doubt, the “Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church” of 2011. Since then, the “yellow book” has been a valuable companion to young Catholics worldwide. With over 5 million sold copies in more than 60 languages, it is one of the most sold catholic books in the world. However, this is not all there is to it. With “YOUCAT for kids”, published in 2013, Meuser and his team managed to develop a book that brings kids, parents and grandparents closer together with the catholic faith in both an entertaining way and easy to understand.

2014 was a year dedicated to the sacraments of confirmation (“YOUCAT Confirmation Book”) and reconciliation (“YOUCAT Confession”). In 2016, to great delight of Pope Francis, Meuser published “DOCAT”, an engaging summary of the teachings of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church. It was followed, in the space of a year, by the “Bible” for young people, that has also been experiencing great popularity and is being translated in more and more languages. In 2017 “YOUCAT Faith Course” was also published, offering solid answers to the most passionate questions about faith. As a talented and restless writer, Meuser kept faithful to his reputation despite the growth of his health issues. In the summer of 2023, Meuser published “Dialogical Catechesis: An Innovative Concept for Practice”. The manual was warmly welcomed specially by catechists.

The last work by Meuser, “YOUCAT Love forever – from single to sacrament”, will soon hit the bookstores. More than 200 young people from 30 countries joined the main author to gather contents on the themes of love. The result is a wonderful book that will please all couples, whether dating, engaged or married. In the same way was “YOUCAT Basics” created, aiming to be a fundamental tool to help and guide, in particular, newcomers to the faith. Its release is expected to be in the Holy Year 2025.

Those who know Meuser personally, know that not even his retirement will prevent his creativity to flow, as it is proper of the creative forces of the artist’s soul. It may be that he surprises us in one way or the other.

We thank Bernhard Meuser for his dedication and faithful love to the Church.
May God’s blessing always stay with him.