Montse Alvarado to Lead Vatican Communications From November 1, a First for a Laywoman at a Holy See Dicastery
Maria Montserrat "Montse" Alvarado, president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, will take office on November 1 as prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, becoming the first laywoman to head a dicastery of the Holy See. According to the National Catholic Register's October 23 report, Alvarado reflected on her path and on the role ahead in a final interview as EWTN News chief, speaking with Colm Flynn on EWTN News In Depth. Appointed by Pope Leo XIV in June, she succeeds Paolo Ruffini at the head of the department that oversees all of the Holy See's communications.
Born in Mexico City, Alvarado came to the United States as a young girl and studied at Florida International University and The George Washington University. Before joining EWTN, she spent 14 years at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where she rose to a leadership position working on religious freedom and human dignity. She came to EWTN in 2021 as the founding host of its weekly news magazine show EWTN News In Depth, and in 2023 was promoted to president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, leading its global, multilingual news operations across television, radio, print, digital, and social media.
As prefect, Alvarado will oversee all of the Holy See's media and communication outlets, including Vatican News, Vatican Media, Vatican Radio, L'Osservatore Romano, the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican publishing house, the Vatican internet service, the Vatican printing press, and the Vatican's photography service. She called the responsibility "enormous," and said the dicastery's mandate is communicating Christ to the world, adding that her job is to serve the pope and the Church rather than impose a vision of her own.
Asked about accepting the appointment, Alvarado admitted it "took a little more prayer than I would care to admit," noting that moving to a new country, learning a new language, and leaving everything behind were big pieces to overcome. She said she believes she was chosen because digital and traditional communications are coming together, and the Holy Father "was looking for a next-generation professional." She described the role as what she is called to do, and credited EWTN and the network's collaborations with the Holy See on major events with preparing her for the post.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 教宗良十四世与 Montse Alvarado 在梵蒂冈（2025年5月12日）。照片：Vatican Media，梵蒂冈官方发布。 / Pope Leo XIV with Montse Alvarado at the Vatican on May 12, 2025. Photo: Vatican Media, official Holy See release.
