On June 6, Vatican News announced that Pope Leo XIV has appointed Maria Montserrat Alvarado, President and COO of EWTN News, to be Prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, effective Nov. 1, 2026.
Who Is Maria Montserrat Alvarado?
Alvarado is the first woman who isn't a consecrated religious to be appointed prefect of any dicastery. She will be the successor to Italian journalist Paolo Ruffini, who was the first lay person to run the Dicastery for Communication, which oversees the Holy See's entire communication/media outreach.
One interesting angle to this appointment is that Alvarado comes from EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network. It was launched in 1981 by cloistered Poor Clare nun Mother Angelica (who had no broadcasting experience), from the convent she founded in Alabama.
No one would have predicted that the former Rita Rizzo, an outspoken Italian-American from a working-class family in Ohio, would be a media pioneer, creating what became a worldwide cable, satellite, and online Catholic network.
So, in a way, it's fitting that a woman from Mother Angelica's network is on her way to oversee media at the Vatican. But their personal journeys are very different, reflecting changes in the secular and Catholic worlds during the lifetime of Mother Angelica, who died in 2016, at the age of 92.
From Vatican News:
Born in Mexico City, Alvarado earned academic degrees from Florida International University and George Washington University. From 2009 to 2023, she held leadership positions at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, serving in initiatives dedicated to the defense of religious freedom and the promotion of human dignity.
According to the Acton Institute, the 39-year-old Alvarado is fluent in Spanish, English, and French, and is a competitive jazz and classical vocalist.
Congratulating Alvarado From Los Angeles
We here at Family Theater Productions in Hollywood, and our colleagues in the local Catholic media, are very excited about the possibilties that Alvarado's new job represents.
Said FTP National Director Father David Guffey, C.S.C.:
When I saw Pope Leo’s recent appointment of Maria Montserrat Alvarado to Prefect of the Dicastery of Communication, I thought, great choice.
She has done significant work in the news division of EWTN. At the same time, she takes on a major role within the Vatican, and signals the evolving openness to the leadership and expertise of lay people, including women in the administration of the Church.
We also reached out to our friend and frequent collaborator (most recently, on the YouTube series Digital Age Family Safety), Sister Nancy Usselmann, F.S.P., of the Daughters of Saint Paul, who's also head of the Pauline Center for Media Studies.
She said:
Pope Leo's appointment of a laywoman from the United States as Prefect of Communications is a significant development for the Church. In many ways, it builds upon Pope Francis' commitment to entrusting women with key leadership roles within the Vatican.
As the first laywoman to hold this position, Montse Alvarado is uniquely placed to shape how the work and mission of the Vatican are communicated to the world. I have met Montse on several occasions and have found her to be an exceptionally intelligent, dedicated, and deeply spiritual woman, who loves both Christ and the Church.
This appointment also reflects Pope Leo's recognition of EWTN as a major global communications apostolate founded by a woman, Mother Angelica. Montse comes to this role after serving as President and COO of EWTN News, bringing extensive experience in Catholic media and evangelization.
By making this appointment, Pope Leo affirms the vital role women play in the Church's mission and recognizes the unique gifts they bring to communicating the Gospel in today's world.
Here's how EWTN News reported the story:
And, from Rome Reports:
Image: Courtesy Vatican News
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