EWTN continues to follow the lead of its founder, Mother Angelica.
EWTN continues to follow the lead of its founder, Mother Angelica.
P ope Leo XIV, the first pope born in the United States, tapped the president for news at global Catholic network EWTN to become the first laywoman to run a Vatican dicastery — for communications — earlier this year. The Mexico-born, D.C.-based Montse Alvarado’s official start date is November 1. In preparation for the move, EWTN has named her successor: Ursula Murua, a journalist born in Peru who has been serving internally as director of digital strategy and social media.
EWTN is an international Catholic news and evangelization network founded by a Poor Clare cloistered nun, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation. EWTN first went on air from Alabama in 1981. If she weren’t a Catholic nun, she would be heralded among female trailblazers in the United States. For 45 years, EWTN has been bringing the faith — basic doctrine, practical living, papal events, and replays of Fulton Sheen and Mother Angelica herself, among its many TV, radio, and digital offerings.
When Mother Angelica died in 1992, it was believed that EWTN reached 264 million homes in 145 countries and territories. Many believe she may one day be among the canonized saints of the Catholic Church.
Murua answered a series of questions over email from me about the present and future of Catholic media and other things as she takes on a new role in the Catholic Church, broadly speaking. Her responses follow:
Kathryn Jean Lopez: What must be going through your head as you are taking on a lead position at a network started by a woman who was likely a saint?
Ursula Murua: My heart and mind are full. For me, Mother Angelica is not just an inspiration, she is the driving force behind EWTN. Everything EWTN is today grew out of what she built in that little garage in Alabama through her faith in providence and pursuit of a deeper and deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
To have her as the founder of this work and to be entrusted with carrying on her legacy in EWTN News is an enormous responsibility, but also a tremendous blessing.
I am grateful to have the support of my colleagues at EWTN, who have tremendous experience and who also lead exemplary lives of faith. They have and will continue to help me keep Mother Angelica’s vision for the entire EWTN family at the heart of everything we do.
Lopez: Now you actually grew up with knowledge of Mother Angelica, didn’t you, and encountered her as a young journalist?
Murua: Yes. I’ve always believed that the Lord works in mysterious ways, and throughout my life, I’ve seen so many signs of how He has guided me toward Catholic journalism.
I was 20 years old, studying journalism in Peru, and already working at ACI Prensa, a Catholic news agency for Latin America under the banner of the then-Association for Catholic Information, now EWTN News Español, when my then-boss suggested I go hear this “little nun” from the United States who had founded a television station.
Mother Angelica had come to Peru as part of her South America tour, and she gave her talk at the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, exactly one block from the journalism school where I was studying. So, in a very personal way, I’ve always felt that Mother Angelica came to visit me.
I don’t remember Mother Angelica’s words. She spoke in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish. But what I will never forget is her radiance. She communicated God’s presence simply by being there. There was something about her that I cannot explain, something I had only experienced when I had the chance to be near John Paul II during his visits to Peru and when I covered one of his last trips to Mexico and the Great Jubilee 2000 in Rome.
Just as John Paul II radiated holiness, this little nun conveyed God’s presence. And her energy was that of a woman with an urgent mission: She was a force of nature. She radiated a passion for the Gospel.
Those moments in her presence inspired me so deeply. My encounter with her helped confirm that God was calling me to serve Him through Catholic journalism.
I could never have imagined that, about 20 years later, ACI Prensa would become part of EWTN, or that likewise 30 years later, I would be asked to also walk deeper into EWTN and take on the responsibility of leading EWTN News. Now, as I take on that responsibility, I ask Mother Angelica to guide my work in her network, or “God’s network” as she would have called it.
Lopez: How has she influenced you as an adult, as a journalist?
Murua: I think what has shaped me most, and what continues to challenge me personally and as a journalist, is Mother Angelica’s refusal to compromise the truth. The truth can be uncomfortable. Mother Angelica was not afraid to proclaim it.
She was a pioneer in her time, and her prophetic voice reached every corner of the world and continues to do so today. She died ten years ago, and long before that, illness had kept her from appearing on camera for many years. Yet her message remains as relevant today as it was on the very first day.
Through her witness, her wisdom, and her zeal for the Gospel, she continues to captivate people, win hearts, and inspire conversions around the world. I personally know people who have literally returned to the Catholic faith, or drawn closer to the Church, because they saw one of her videos on social media. And we have to remember: She stopped appearing on television long before social media even existed. Yet the message she shared is eternal. Whatever the medium, it remains relevant, because what inspired her, what she sought to communicate, was the Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word. It’s right there in the name of the network she founded.
As journalists, we want to share news, and there is nothing more beautiful than sharing the Good News of the Gospel. There is also nothing more urgent or more necessary for the world today.
The great evangelizers have been extraordinary communicators, not because they made themselves the message, but because they conveyed the Gospel message.
That’s what gives my work its meaning. I always say I have the best job in the world, not only because I have the best team in the world, but also because my work is to communicate the truth and beauty of the Gospel through the news; in other words, it is an apostolate.
Lopez: What do you wish everyone knew about her? Every young girl? Every Catholic girl?
Murua: What I wish people understood and appreciated is that Mother Angelica built EWTN with practically nothing. Her life shows us that you can take on an enormous mission even when you don’t have all the knowledge, skills, resources, technology, or people you think you need.
She trusted in Providence. God was her team. And she stepped into an unfamiliar world without degrees or doctorates, without knowing how to build a television network. She saw a way to evangelize beyond the walls of her monastery, and she committed herself wholeheartedly.
I think that speaks especially to young women today. Social media sells them a false idea of who they are supposed to be, and they can begin to believe they are not enough.
Mother Angelica reminds us that no matter how small you may feel, or how little you may have, if you discover who God is calling you to be and what He is calling you to do, you can do it with Him.
Lopez: What’s different about EWTN?
Murua: What makes EWTN different is what motivates us: serving the Church’s mission. That is how I understand my own service, too.
We know that the church is not made up of perfect people, but of sinners. And yet, despite our limitations and frailties, God works through us to communicate the Gospel to new generations.
There is a real awareness here that we cannot do this on our own. We have to trust in the Lord. We have to pray. I consider it a blessing to work in a place where the Blessed Sacrament is at the heart of our office in Washington, D.C. The chapel is the first place you see when you walk through the office door.
That is what makes the difference: He is at the center of our work.
Lopez: You’ve overseen digital advancements at EWTN. What are the opportunities and challenges on that front — particularly from an evangelization point of view?
Murua: The pace and rate of change in the digital revolution is relentless. We barely get used to one algorithm change before another arrives. We think we’re using the best technology, and suddenly there is something new.
And it’s not just technology. Trends, habits, even language change so quickly. Generational gaps grow wider and deeper, and sometimes it’s difficult to speak the same language even within a family. Those of us from older generations face the challenge of connecting with younger people without diluting the truth or the depth of the Gospel.
But I also see an enormous opportunity: There is a hunger, especially among young people, for what is true and beautiful. I think that may help explain the return to faith among Gen Z that we hear so much about.
Social media is full of unrealistic visuals and narratives; lives that look perfect, impossible standards to meet. And I think people are beginning to distinguish what is real from what is false, what is beautiful from what leaves them feeling disconnected from themselves and from God. That gives the truth a chance to shine again. For Catholic media, that is an enormous opportunity.
One of our current challenges is that so much of what people consume now comes in small bites. Long-form content still has a place, but it is not necessarily how we reach the broadest audiences. We have to adapt our content: our news stories, our resources, even the pope’s words for different audiences and different platforms.
For us, that is the biggest digital challenge: adapting the message to the habits of different audiences and the demands of different platforms without compromising its essence.
Lopez: What’s important about Catholic media?
Murua: What makes Catholic media so important is the responsibility that comes with journalism: verifying information, providing context, and helping people distinguish facts from opinions, and helping Catholics integrate their faith in all aspects of their lives.
AI-generated content and influencers continue to grow in prominence, and many people, especially younger audiences, follow them without necessarily distinguishing opinion from news, or what is fake from what is true. On our social media feeds, everything appears to carry the same weight, whether it’s news, opinion, or entertainment. That creates a real challenge for Catholic journalism. Anyone can pick up a phone and record a video commentary, sometimes without citing a source, or share a story that is many years old as though it just happened. Catholic journalists must be rigorous. If we revisit an older story, we need a reason, and we need to make its original date, source, and context clear. We must make sure our reporting stands up to scrutiny. And that work requires resources. We pay journalists, secure rights to material, and put time into research, verification, and editing. Often, people simply don’t realize the work and investment that goes into publishing a story. While secular newsrooms and media companies are affected by the broader crisis the digital transformation is having on media generally, Catholic journalism and media have never had those resources. We do the same rigorous work with much less, and that often goes unnoticed.
For many people, social media is where they encounter the news. They are not necessarily seeking out a news organization; they open Facebook, Instagram, X, or TikTok and see what the platform chooses to show them. So, we are constantly working to improve how we reach our audiences and reinventing how we present our reporting, because we don’t want that work to get lost.
For me, that is a central challenge: making sure rigorous Catholic journalism remains visible and sustainable, so we can continue serving people with reliable information.
Lopez: You are the second president for news at EWTN who speaks Spanish — is that reflective of something happening, or that needs to happen, in the Church?
Murua: Well, EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network, became the Global Catholic Network as Mother Angelica recognized the need to spread the Gospel in many languages.
Look at the countries with the largest Catholic populations in the world: Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines. According to church statistics, Brazil has around 182 million Catholics, Mexico around 119 million, and the Philippines around 93 million. Those numbers alone help explain why communicating in different languages is not an “extra” service but a core part of serving a universal church.
Mother Angelica did not speak Spanish, but she launched EWTN Español in the 1990s. She understood that reaching a world hungry for God meant offering EWTN’s content in other languages.
Today, in the news division alone, we provide news in seven languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, German, and Arabic. The church is not an English-speaking church or a Spanish-speaking church. It is universal. We must choose core languages with the highest impact.
Lopez: How do you plan to stay rooted in the faith in the midst of all of the chaos and distractions of the news?
Murua: That’s a question everyone with a screen in front of them needs to ask themselves daily!
Well, the first thing I’ve done is ask everyone to pray for me — my friends, my team, my colleagues, and everyone who has congratulated me on this appointment. This is a big responsibility, and I know I cannot do it without the Lord’s help. I need to put everything in His hands.
We are blessed to have the Blessed Sacrament at our office and daily Mass frequently. I’ve told my team that if they can’t find me in my office, they will probably find me in the chapel, praying or bringing a decision to the Lord.
My family is a pillar in my life. They also help me remember that this is a call to service, not a reward. The Lord is asking me to serve in a new way through EWTN, and without Him at the center, this would be just another job.
Something very personal happened on the day my appointment was announced. My son called and said, “Mom, I’m going to stay on campus and spend an hour in Eucharistic adoration to pray for you.” We already pray the Rosary together and go to Mass as a family, but that honestly surprised me. I see it as a grace that this responsibility is also bringing my family closer to prayer. They know my own strength will not be enough.
I also want to visit Mother Angelica’s tomb in Alabama soon, to honor her legacy, and entrust myself to serving our Lord like she did.
Lopez: You’re replacing Montse Alvarado, who is becoming the first laywoman to run a Vatican dicastery. It’s a big, historic deal. Is this an hour for women in the Church?
Murua: It has been a blessing to work alongside Montse. Her shoes will be impossible to fill, but I am grateful for all I have learned from her as I take on this responsibility.
Women have and always have had a fundamental role in the life and mission of the Church. We were entrusted with the first message, the Resurrection. What is changing now is that some of our less visible roles are now being made more visible. I think we women must start by recognizing that ourselves, with humility and confidence: We have an important role in the life and mission of the Church.
That began with the Virgin Mary. She has been so present throughout the history of the church. I think of her as a great communicator. Through her apparitions — I think especially of Our Lady of Guadalupe — she has continued to draw our attention to the Lord’s message and its relevance in our lives. For me, she shows how powerful communication can be when people feel seen, understood, and loved. Through her image and her words to Saint Juan Diego, she communicated a mother’s tenderness and drew people closer to her Son. And then there is Mary Magdalene, the first witness of the Lord’s Resurrection, who brought that news to the Apostles. As a journalist, I love thinking about that: A woman was entrusted with sharing the greatest news of all.
One of the saints dearest to my heart is Saint Rose of Lima, who was a laywoman. For me, her life is a reminder that we communicate the Gospel not only through words, but through our witness, through charity, and through the way we care for others.
I like to think that women have a special gift for communication. That does not mean men cannot be good communicators — there are many extraordinary ones; we just celebrated the great Blessed Fulton Sheen, for example. But I think many women bring gifts of empathy, listening, and understanding what others need. Communication is not just about delivering a message. It is also about listening, responding, and meeting people where they are, with the hope that in doing so, we might save their lives.