The Holy See’s Dicastery for Communication’s incoming prefect says her new role is “a privilege and honour” and “a great adventure”. Source: OSV News.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Maria Montserrat “Montse” Alvarado, then EWTN News’ president and COO, to the position on June 2. She begins in the role on Sunday.
“My entire life has been a surrender to Jesus Christ and his Church in the hopes that others would have a relationship with him,” she said. “The fact that God could use me as an instrument for something so great is incredibly humbling.”
In an interview with Colm Flynn on the TV program EWTN News in Depth, Ms Alvarado reflected on her communications experience, personal vocation and how she expects to approach leadership of the dicastery.
She said that as she has met with Pope Leo in preparation for assuming the role, “We’re getting to know what this is, what it should be, what the desire of his heart is, and what the Holy Spirit has really given him as the mandate for his pontificate,” she said.
“And my job is to serve him and the Church and to serve the dicasteries and serve the curia,” she continued. “In no way am I imposing a vision. I’m very much receiving one and executing it.”
Ms Alvarado will be the first laywoman who is not a religious sister to lead a dicastery, and, at age 39, will be the youngest prefect in the Roman Curia.
A native of Mexico City living in Washington before moving to Rome, Ms Alvarado holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida International University and a master’s degree in political management from George Washington University.
She began working in communications for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington-based nonprofit law firm that defends religious freedom cases, in 2009, rising to vice president and executive director in 2017.
In 2021, she began a professional transition to Catholic media, becoming the host EWTN News In Depth while still working for the Becket Fund. She was named president and chief operating officer of EWTN News in 2023.
As prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Ms Alvarado will oversee the Holy See’s media and communication efforts, including Vatican News, Vatican Media, Vatican Radio, L’Osservatore Romano newspaper, the Holy See Press Office, and the Vatican’s publishing house (LEV), internet service, printing press, photography service and film library.
Under Pope Francis, the Holy See’s various communications arms were united in 2015 in the newly founded Secretariat for Communication, which was renamed the Dicastery for Communication in 2018 with Paolo Ruffini, a layman and a journalist, named as prefect. Ms Alvarado is his immediate successor.
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Montse Alvarado prepares to step into Vatican communications prefect role Nov. 1 (OSV News)
