(ZENIT News / Washington, 02.10.2025).- In an era where the digital world has become the new public square, Bishop Robert Barron is taking a bold step to ensure the Catholic Church not only has a voice in the conversation but leads it. On January 15, Word on Fire, Barron’s influential media apostolate, announced an ambitious new initiative: the founding of a religious order dedicated entirely to evangelizing through digital platforms.
This development is not just another expansion of Word on Fire—it represents a new model of priestly life, one that places digital mission work at its core. The move signals a recognition that the internet is not simply a tool for spreading the Gospel but a mission field in itself, one that demands a dedicated response from the Church.
Barron’s journey as a digital priest began modestly in the late 1990s with a series of Sunday Gospel reflections aired on a Chicago radio station at an inconvenient early morning hour. Realizing the limitations of radio, a friend suggested he post his homilies online. What began as a simple website soon evolved into Word on Fire, an international multimedia ministry that has reached millions.
The turning point came in 2011 with Catholicism, a 10-part documentary series that combined breathtaking cinematography with theological depth, presenting the richness of Catholic history and doctrine. This high-production-value approach became a hallmark of Word on Fire and helped Barron’s message extend beyond Catholic circles.
Today, Word on Fire’s presence on YouTube and social media is unparalleled in the Catholic world, second only to the Pope’s official accounts. With more than 200 million video views, nearly two million YouTube subscribers, and three million Facebook followers, Barron has redefined how Catholic evangelization engages with contemporary audiences.
A New Order for a New Evangelization
Despite his vast online reach, Barron has always balanced digital mission work with traditional pastoral duties. Ordained in 1986, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles in 2015 and later became bishop of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, where Word on Fire’s headquarters are now based. His dual commitment to the digital world and parish ministry has shaped his vision for this new order.
According to the official announcement, Barron’s goal is to establish a congregation of priests specifically trained for digital evangelization. The plan is to recruit an initial group of three to five priests and an equal number of novices, who will live in community under a spiritual rule that Barron has already drafted. They will be formed not only in theology and pastoral ministry but also in the unique challenges and opportunities of online evangelization.
The order’s first home has already been secured, thanks to a generous benefactor who provided a house in Rochester, Minnesota, where the priests will live, study, and begin their mission. A fundraising campaign to support the initiative quickly gained momentum, raising over $300,000 in just a few days.
The idea of a religious order focused on media is not entirely unprecedented. In the early 20th century, Blessed Giacomo Alberione founded the Pauline Family, a network of congregations dedicated to spreading the Gospel through modern means of communication, from newspapers to radio and television. Barron’s vision can be seen as a 21st-century continuation of this tradition, with a specific emphasis on the digital world.
What sets this initiative apart is the explicit recognition that the internet is not just a tool for spreading religious content but a vast and complex mission territory. Barron has long argued that the Church must engage with the “nones” (those with no religious affiliation) and skeptics where they are—on YouTube, social media, and podcasts. The new order will institutionalize this approach, forming priests who are as fluent in digital culture as they are in theology.
While the announcement has generated excitement, the road ahead is not without obstacles. Establishing a new religious order requires navigating Church requirements and securing canonical approval. The long-term sustainability of the project will also depend on continuous financial support and successful recruitment of candidates willing to dedicate their priesthood to digital mission work.
Additionally, the effectiveness of online evangelization remains a subject of debate. While Word on Fire has reached millions, translating digital engagement into deep and lasting conversions remains a challenge. Barron himself has acknowledged that the internet is a starting point, not the endpoint, of faith formation. The new order will need to find ways to integrate its digital presence with real-world sacramental life.
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