One of the things that has struck me most since joining The Tablet has been the depth of attachment and appreciation from our readers.

Some tell me that it is the only publication that they will take the time to read every week, and others have described The Tablet as “a lifeline”. One reader said last week that “it is a treasured source of encouragement and hope in an all too turbulent world”.

Last week, the editor, Brendan Walsh, set out our values. Jean Vanier, who died last week, would say, “My feet are rooted in my faith. But my arms are wide open.” That’s the vision of Catholicism that inspires The Tablet and that I hope runs through every issue like the lettering in a stick of rock.