Inspired by its mission, EWTN News held its fifth annual EWTN Summer Academy in Rome to train future generations of Catholic journalists.
From June 22 to July 1, the EWTN Vatican Bureau hosted 43 young journalists and media professionals from 26 countries, training them in journalism, video editing, and storytelling to support the Church’s mission of evangelization.
The program took place at the Centro Internazionale di Animazione Missionaria (CIAM) on the campus of the Pontifical Urban University, where participants enjoyed a scenic view of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square from above.
Training journalists to be peacemakers
Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly highlighted the importance of the media for the Church and the world. In several of his public speeches to journalists, he challenged them to work for peace in a world marked by polarization, war, and fake news.
“In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus proclaimed: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Mt 5:9). This is a beatitude that challenges all of us, but it is particularly relevant to you [journalists],” Pope Leo said in a speech to journalists after the 2025 conclave.
Anthony Johnson, a co-founder and program director of the EWTN Summer Academy, emphasized the importance of training young journalists at the academy to respond to the pope’s call.
“We as journalists need to be peacemakers first, because the truth is what is ultimately going to set us free,” Johnson told EWTN News.
Johnson also explained the academy’s aims and its connection to the vision of Mother Angelica, who founded the EWTN Global Catholic Network in 1981.
Anthony Johnson, a co-founder and program director of the EWTN Summer Academy, speaks at the academy in Rome on June 23, 2026. | Credit: Lemmy Ogbonnaya Ijioma/EWTN Summer Academy
“In the academy here, we’re bringing in people from all around the world — 43 people from 26 countries more or less — and we put them in small groups from all different continents, and we put them through these exercises with the goal of finishing a final project at the very end of the academy.”
“We expect people to be 100% bought into the mission [of proclaiming Jesus Christ]. Mother Angelica knew it. I think people today know it, and our audience can tell from a mile away,” Johnson said.
In service of the truth
The academy participants were taught by Vatican journalists, clergy, producers, and art historians about the fundamentals of Catholic journalism.
Several of those participants reflected on this experience as a service to truth. One of those was Jonél Roos from South Africa, a religious educator and a convert to Catholicism.
Jacob Stein, founder of social media apostolate Crux Stationalis and a digital media analyst for EWTN Global Services, gives a lesson on social media to the EWTN Summer Academy in Rome on June 23, 2026. | Credit: Lemmy Ogbonnaya Ijioma/EWTN Summer Academy
“I think [this program] is of the utmost importance because it gives people the tools necessary to grow in their faith and also in order to grow within their professions,” Roos told EWTN News. “The whole point of all of this is to convey truth to people and to allow people to be guided towards the truth.”
George Cuesta, a filmmaker based in Austin, Texas, added: “I think forming young Catholic creators in [the journalistic] realm is extremely important because thatʼs really the language that the faithful are using to communicate with each other, to consume media, whether entertainment or education.”
An experience in the Eternal City through the eyes of faith
Several participants reflected on the importance of learning about Catholic journalism in Rome.
Ana Belén Hurtado, a communications professional from Ecuador, described her time in Rome as faith-filled.
“Being here in the heart of the Church makes it a whole new level for us. Having the amazing view [of St. Peter’s Square] every day definitely makes you aware of the history and the whole legacy that we have received through the gift of faith,” Hurtado said.
EWTN Summer Academy 2026 participants and guests at the academy’s opening reception at the Centro Internazionale di Animazione Missionaria (CIAM) on the campus of the Pontifical Urban University in Rome on June 22, 2026. | Credit: Lemmy Ogbonnaya Ijioma/EWTN Summer Academy
Lemmy Ogbonnaya Ijioma, a Nigerian photographer, videographer, and tutor at the academy, also highlighted Rome’s importance to one’s formation in Catholic journalism.
“I would say Rome renews my faith and allows me to experience the Catholic faith up close and personal — things I would ordinarily experience from a distance,” Ijioma told EWTN News.
Kevin Mario, a communications professional from India, added: “Returning to India, I carried with me not only new skills but also a renewed love for the Church. Walking through the basilicas of Rome and contemplating the masterpieces of Michelangelo, Bernini, Raphael, and countless other artists reminded me that beauty has always been one of the Churchʼs greatest evangelists.”
