For the first time in over 20 years, the weekly televised Mass that airs across the Diocese of Phoenix on local channel 7 (CW7) will be produced by the Diocese’s Office of Communications beginning on Sunday, July 6. The past 1,000-plus Sunday Masses, the majority originating from Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix, were produced by Skyline Productions, led by owner and producer Joe Reynolds.
“We are so thankful for the hard work and dedication that Joe and his team at Skyline have brought to our viewers for the past two decades and we greatly appreciate their efforts,” said Brett Meister, director of communications for the Diocese of Phoenix. “With the advancement in technology in the last decade, and the cost efficiencies we can absorb, we are bringing the production of the weekly TV Mass in-house. We are excited about the future and look to continue the same production quality that our viewers are accustomed to watching each Sunday.”
This past January, the Diocese of Phoenix expanded its weekly content on CW7 from 90-minutes to two hours. Local Catholic news and inspiration now begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by the live Mass at 9 a.m., with continued coverage of the faith until 10:30 a.m. In addition, Colleen Gurrola, an accomplished reporter and storyteller from local NBC affiliate 12News, joined the Office of Communications this year to oversee the production of the weekly Sunday broadcast. She’ll also continue contributing to new video content projects for the Office of Communications and The Catholic Sun.
To accomplish the goal to bring a high-quality live broadcast to viewers, the diocese is working with Fr. Dan McBride, pastor of St. Mary’s and St. Juan Diego Catholic Churches in Chandler, Ariz., and his experienced Media Ministry team. Media Ministry has been instrumental with assisting parishes with audio and streaming systems and they produce a weekly Sunday Mass broadcast for ESNE, a Hispanic Catholic network based in California. Their depth of knowledge and understanding of broadcast equipment have been crucial in bringing the production of the live TV Mass in-house.
“The weekly TV Mass is just one of our many valuable assets to reach people across our 44,000 square mile diocese. We have ambitious plans to communicate, especially connecting with the younger audience, with robust digital content to evangelize and share the Good News,” added Meister. “We’ve assembled a very talented team in our department and look forward to rolling out new initiatives in the coming months.”
