Hosted by the Diocese of Phoenix June 24-27, the Catholic Media Conference received rave reviews, with nearly 400 Catholic communicators and media from dioceses across North America. It was the highest attended conference since before the Covid pandemic.
The conference, which began on Tuesday evening with a Mass at the Diocesan Pastoral Center followed by a welcome event at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism in downtown Phoenix, included keynote speakers, roundtable discussions, classroom presentations, award ceremonies, a community service project with St. Vincent de Paul, and multiple networking opportunities.
“We were thrilled by the turnout of attendees and the positive feedback we received from them,” said Brett Meister, director of communications for the Diocese of Phoenix. “A big shout out goes to all the local volunteers and sponsors, the Knights of Columbus, the conference planning committee, the CMA Board of Directors, and our diocesan communications team for their hard work in making this a huge success. A special thanks also goes to our Mass celebrants, including Bishop Dolan, Fr. John Muir and Fr. Dan McBride, the local musicians and to the Office of Worship for planning the beautiful liturgies.”
Highlights of the week included Fr. Paul Gabor, S.J., Ph.D., presenting on the Vatican Observatory, two Arizona State professors discussing AI in the digital age, Sr. Nancy Usselmann, FSP, speaking on a renewed spirituality for communicators, and the Diocese of Phoenix’s Niko Hafley presenting best practices and utilizing data for social media campaigns. In addition, a keynote panel on Friday centered around a discussion about accompanying migrants.
“The 2025 Catholic Media Conference was a week of fresh ideas, honest conversations, and meaningful connections rooted in faith and camaraderie,” said Rob DeFrancesco, executive director of the Catholic Media Association and former director of communications for the Diocese of Phoenix. “From game-changing discussions on AI to opportunities to build lasting relationships, the Catholic Media Conference reenergized us for the vital work of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ through Catholic media.”
“It was great to ‘come home’ to Phoenix for the Catholic Media Conference,” said Chris Gunty, the founding editor of The Catholic Sun in 1985 who is now associate publisher-editor of Catholic Review Media for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. “Celebrating Mass again in the Pastoral Center chapel and St. Mary’s Basilica was uplifting. Pacing along the walkways in the plaza and remembering some of the names on the bricks of those who helped sponsor construction of that building was a step into the past. It is great to know that The Catholic Sun and the spirit of communications is alive and well in the Diocese of Phoenix, 40 years after the establishment of The Catholic Sun.”
“The Diocese of Phoenix continues to be a leader in Catholic media. And like other dioceses in the southwest, the Church is growing, and Catholic education continues to flourish in Phoenix,” said J.D. Long Garcia, a former editor for The Catholic Sun and now a senior editor for America Media. “It served as a perfect venue for the gathering, given both how much Phoenix already reflects the future of the Church in the United States as well as its proximity to the southern border. What the nation debates in theory Phoenix has experienced as reality for decades.”
The annual event concluded on Friday evening with an awards celebration sponsored by the Catholic Media Association, recognizing Catholic media and diocesan communicators nationally for their contributions in 2024. There were over 3,125 submissions in over 100 categories. The Diocese of Phoenix’s Office of Communications won five awards for their work this past year, including:
2025 Catholic Media Awards
Best News Writing on a Local or Reginal Event – Weekly
2nd Place: “Basilica Takes Washing of the Feet Tradition to the Streets”
Jamie Rose Bell, The Catholic Sun
Communications Director of the Year
2nd Place: Brett Meister, Diocese of Phoenix
Social Media Professional of the Year
3rd Place: Niko Hafley, Diocese of Phoenix
Best Video – Catechesis, Diocesan and National News Organizations
Honorable Mention: “Word and Art” with Bishop John Dolan
Bishop John Dolan, Brett Meister, Julian Garoz and Niko Hafley
Best Feature Writing – Weekly
Tony Gutierrez, The Catholic Sun
Founded in 1911, the Catholic Media Association has been providing professional development, networking, inspiration, celebration of peers and faith formation to community members, impacting Catholic communicators of all kinds — writers, editors, publishers, videographers, television producers, podcasters and countless others — for decades.
