Maria Montserrat Alvarado, a 39-year-old Mexican-American media executive, has become the head of the Vatican’s communications department, marking a historic shift in the role.
Alvarado assumed office on November 1, 2026, following her appointment by Pope Leo XIV in June. She is the first laywoman to serve as prefect of a Vatican dicastery and the first non-Italian to lead the Dicastery for Communication, which oversees the Holy See’s global media and communications operations.
Her appointment places her at the centre of the Vatican’s communication machinery, with responsibility for its television, radio, newspapers, digital platforms, publishing operations and press office.
She succeeds Italian journalist Paolo Ruffini, who became the first layperson to head a Vatican dicastery when Pope Francis appointed him to the position in 2018.
Alvarado’s Early Life and Education
Born in Mexico City, Alvarado moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Miami, Florida, before relocating to Washington, D.C., to pursue her education and professional career.
She attended Florida International University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science, before obtaining a master’s degree in political management from George Washington University.
Her academic background in politics and public affairs provided a foundation for a career that would initially develop outside conventional journalism.
Unlike many media executives whose careers begin in newsrooms or broadcasting organisations, Alvarado first established herself in the legal and public advocacy sector, working on issues surrounding religious freedom, human dignity and the relationship between religion and public institutions.
Becket Fund for Religious Liberty Stint
Alvarado began working at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty in 2009, a Washington-based nonprofit law firm that represents individuals and organisations in religious freedom disputes.
Over the following 14 years, she rose through the organisation’s leadership structure, becoming vice president and executive director in 2017.
The Becket Fund works on religious liberty cases involving different faith traditions, defending the right of religious organisations and individuals to practise their beliefs.
Her responsibilities exposed her to public advocacy, institutional communications, legal policy debates and engagement with influential religious and political stakeholders.
The experience also gave her an understanding of how religious institutions communicate their positions to governments, the media and the wider public.
By the time she left the organisation in 2023, Alvarado had spent more than a decade developing experience at the intersection of religion, public affairs and communications.
Move into Catholic Media: EWTN News
In 2021, she joined EWTN News as the founding host of EWTN News In Depth, a weekly news programme produced by the global Catholic media network.
EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network, is one of the world’s largest Catholic media organisations. Founded in 1981 by Mother Angelica, the network has expanded into an international broadcasting and publishing operation with television, radio, digital, print and news services.
Alvarado’s television role gave her a platform to interview prominent religious figures and examine developments affecting the Catholic Church and wider society.
In 2023, she was appointed president and chief operating officer of EWTN News, placing her in charge of its international news operations.
The position expanded her responsibilities beyond programme presentation to executive management, editorial coordination and the development of a multilingual media organisation.
Under her leadership, EWTN News operated international media platforms producing content in seven languages across television, radio, print, digital and social media.
How Pope Leo XIV Chose Alvarado
Alvarado’s appointment was not the result of a conventional recruitment process. In an interview with EWTN News ahead of her departure, she explained that she had not applied for the position or gone through a standard selection process.
Her professional engagement with the Vatican and senior Catholic figures through EWTN provided opportunities to become familiar with the institution’s communications requirements.
These included preparations for a live conversation with Pope Leo during the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in November 2025 and EWTN’s involvement in communications surrounding the pope’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, published in May 2026.
Alvarado has suggested that the convergence of traditional and digital communications is an important consideration for the Vatican’s media strategy.
What Alvarado Will Oversee
As prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Alvarado heads an institution responsible for coordinating the Holy See’s extensive media and communications infrastructure.
The department oversees several major media organisations and services, including:
- Vatican News: The Holy See’s international news service, publishing reports and multimedia content in multiple languages.
- Vatican Radio: The Vatican’s broadcasting service, which communicates the Church’s activities and messages to international audiences.
- L’Osservatore Romano: The Vatican’s daily newspaper, covering Church affairs, religious developments and international issues.
- Vatican Media: The organisation responsible for photographic, audio and video coverage of papal activities and major Vatican events.
- Holy See Press Office: The official channel for press briefings, announcements and communications from the Vatican.
- Libreria Editrice Vaticana: The Vatican publishing house responsible for distributing official Church publications and documents.
The dicastery also oversees the Vatican’s printing press, internet services and film library.
