Saint Meinrad Archabbey, owner and operator of Abbey Press, is participating in a special way in the Holy Year of Mercy designated by Pope Francis. The jubilee year runs Dec. 8, 2015-Nov. 20, 2016.

Along with another church in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis named as a pilgrimage site, the Archabbey Church of Our Lady of Einsiedeln at Saint Meinrad also has been honored as a pilgrimage site, and its doors have been designated as “holy doors” for the jubilee year. The doors were ceremonially opened Dec. 13.

Pure Flix Entertainment, the largest independent faith film studio, and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) have announced a multi-year distribution services agreement.

Under the arrangement, UPHE will exclusively handle sales and distribution services for the Blu-ray, DVD, Electronic Sell-through and Video-on-Demand platforms of Pure Flix new-release films and for its diverse catalog of titles across the U.S. Pure Flix will oversee consumer marketing to support UPHE and will continue to manage sales, marketing and distribution for the CBA market.

David C Cook (DCC) is announcing the creation of a new Learning Resources Strategic Ministry Unit (SMU). DCC’s recent acquisition of Gospel Light and Standard Publishing resources presented the opportunity to realign the book and curriculum SMUs into a “Learning Resources Unit," enabling the ministry to sharpen its focus on resourcing the local church on a global scale.

The Learning Resources Unit will focus on these key areas: adult trade book resources on Christian living, apologetics, commentary, small group and discipleship; Standard Lesson Commentary; Bible in Life (adult) curriculum; Standard Publishing’s HeartShaper and Encounter; Gospel Light’s traditional children’s curriculum; and Tru, Bible in Life, Echoes and children’s trade book resources featuring the Action Bible and DiscipleShaping resources.

Charisma House announced Friday that two books written by New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Cahn were recognized as the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association (ECPA) Top 100 Christian Best-sellers of 2015 for the second year in a row. The Harbinger and The Mystery of the Shemitah charted in the top 15 books of the year, as well as No. 1 in fiction and No. 9 in nonfiction for the year.

Cahn is the only author to have both a fiction and nonfiction title on the list of 2015 best-sellers and stand-alone Top 100 list. 

Members of the Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) recently elected five board members, including two current officers, President Bret Thomas and Vice President Mary Beth Oria, who were re-elected.

Members elected Nancy Bird, Donna Crilly, John J. Limb, Thomas and Oria to three-year terms beginning in February. Bird and Crilly bring the total of women directors to four, or one-third of the board, the second-highest total of women on the ACP board in recent years.

Vendors and authors may now nominate their products for the 2016 Christian Retailing’s Best awards. Christian Retailing will receive nominations for this year's awards until Feb. 29.

Each nomination costs $60. Those who submit their nominations by Feb. 15 qualify for the Early Bird Discount. For every five products nominated, a sixth one is free.

Capitol Christian Music Group, Provident Label Group and Word Entertainment announced Thursday the March 18 release of WOW Hits 20th Anniversary. The two-CD set will include 30 songs from standout artists in Christian music, including Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Natalie Grant, Newsboys, Third Day and TobyMac.

WOW releases offer curated collections for the Christian music fan, with each project highlighting top songs from the genre. In the last 20 years, the WOW branded series—which includes WOW Hits, WOW Worship, WOW Gospel, WOW Christmas and additional specialty releases—has sold more than 30 million units. WOW partners are also committed to allocate a portion of the proceeds from the brand to a variety of charitable endeavors and ministries.