Catholic Leader, Religious Liberty Advocate Named EWTN News President, C.O. Officer

"As a seasoned executive, Montse will bring new energy and perspective to our global news services," the EWTN Chairman and CEO said.

Ms. Alvarado’s “background in organizational management, understanding of the Church, and experience in the public square are key elements that make her ideal for this role,” Warsaw further said, adding, "This combination of skills will allow EWTN News to become even stronger in delivering critical reporting and analysis.”

Profiled by the Wall Street Journal as “a defender of all religion, on the front lines of America’s culture wars,” Ms. Alvarado began her career at the Becket Fund, a renowned non-profit whose mission is to defend religious freedom as a human right; she rose to its leadership over the span of 14 years of service.

In that time, the Becket Fund team secured 12 victories at the Supreme Court on behalf of Little Sisters of the Poor, Muslim death-row prisoners, as well as charitable groups, such as Philadelphia Catholic Social Services, among others.

Ms. Alvarado serves as the founding anchor of the news program, EWTN News in Depth. Celebrating two years on air this March, the show was launched as a weekly one-hour discussion of current events in the Church, politics, and culture, from a Catholic perspective.

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“Montse and the ‘EWTN News In Depth’ team understand how to bring the news to our viewership worldwide – covering the underreported stories and clarifying the Church’s position on key teachings with a focus on the laity’s needs and concerns,” Warsaw said.

He added, “In its nearly two years on air, this show has been a model of how to cover the issues facing the Church and the world today by reflecting the universality of the Church and diversifying the voices featured in the discussion.”

Ms. Alvarado’s commitment to the EWTN mission – the advancement of Truth – is not new. Recently recognized for her leadership as a Latina Catholic by the Chicago-based ministry, Iskali, she has been a strategic partner to apostolates facing the challenges of secularization and the shifting demographics of the global Church.

Credit: Courtesy EWTN News

Born in Mexico City, Ms. Alvarado serves the Church in various roles with leading apostolates dedicated to the new evangelization, from the defense of free speech to the role of women and the treatment of marginalized communities in society. 

The newly named President and COO of EWTN News is on the advisory council to the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR), the GIVEN Institute, and the Catholic Information Center, among others. 

"Mother Angelica's vision for EWTN was entrepreneurial, committed to excellence, and reliant on Providence," the holder of a Master’s from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts from Florida International University in Political Management and Political Science, respectively, said during the January 23 virtual conference.

She added, "The team at EWTN is remarkable and called for such a time as this to respond to the need for Truth in journalism. I look forward to leading this team of news professionals to play our necessary part in bolstering civil society through the free press.”

In its 42^nd year, EWTN is the largest Catholic media organization in the world.

EWTN’s 11 global TV channels and numerous regional channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 400 million television households in more than 160 countries and territories.

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EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 600 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the most visited Catholic websites in the U.S.; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division.

Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla is ACI Africa’s founding Editor-in-Chief. He was formed in the Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers (Spiritans), and later incardinated in Rumbek Diocese, South Sudan. He has a PhD in Media Studies from Daystar University in Kenya, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Communication from Marist College, New York, USA.