Today Catholic communicators working to advance the mission of the Church in the modern world gathered for a “micro-retreat” to reconnect to our vocation.

Peace. Don’t we all desire to find it?

As we celebrate Christmas and prepare to welcome the new year, we recognize that we have all been greatly blessed.

When we think about marketing and communications strategies, we tend to think first of external-facing campaigns such as traditional advertising, social media marketing and and earned media coverage -- when an organization's news is covered by print, broadcast or digital news outlets. In my decade of strategic communications experience, however, I have found that an organization’s external communications are only as strong as its internal communications, for the reasons outlined below.

I was fortunate to begin my professional career as a communicator by working for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria in Central Illinois. Bishop John J. Myers hired me, giving me the job title “Administrative Assistant to the Bishop for Communications.”

Building a strong team is essential to operating any successful ministry, shrine or organization. If you need a chance to refresh your team’s workflow, be sure to check out KP Consulting’s four discussion prompts for team alignment. Every ministry should have access to a communications staffer with proven experience and expertise in the profession.

On January 24, the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, Pope Francis released his annual message for World Communications Day, which will be celebrated on May 21. Each year’s World Communications Day has a unique theme. This year, we are called to reflect on the theme of "Speak with the heart: Veritatem facientes in caritate" (Speaking the truth in love).

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the annual SEEK conference hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) in St. Louis. The experience offered amazing case studies in Catholic branding, event planning, and most especially, a beautiful expression of faith among a vibrant young church.

It’s the Advent of Advent. How prepared are you? KPC can help.

This week, I spent three days at the Annual NASPA Convention, where executive directors, rectors, board members and staffers from shrines and pilgrimage apostolates around the country gathered to be renewed in their commitment to mission, inspired to grow together, and return well-prepared to serve pilgrims throughout the country.

The KPC team continues to grow!

Do you want to build better social media habits, but aren't sure where to begin?

This webinar is for you!

As the Synod on Synodality is underway at the diocesan level, (read more about that, here), many parishes are looking toward what embracing co-responsibility in parish and ministry work looks like. Embracing this can be a challenge, especially if a parish or pastor is used to a more formalized style of leadership headed by a cleric.

In each of the brand development and integrated marketing plans we prepare for clients, the KP Consulting team emphasizes the importance of authenticity. From a logo, lockup, and type treatment, to the interactions customers experience when they visit a website or call an office, each choice will strengthen or weaken a brand.

Thanks for joining us for the Resolve series, inspired by our top 5 takeaways from the McGrath Institute for Church Life’s Church Communications Ecology Program at the University of Notre Dame.

Welcome to the final week!

As we conclude our “Resolve” series, this week we focus on what a hybrid community requires to be successful: a team-based approach. We know that effective digital creativity and technological experimentation thrive in a collaborative framework. Implementing this successfully requires a team-based approach.

When it comes to marketing and communication, is your organization listening with your heart? Perhaps it’s no accident that the words “ear” and “hear” are nestled within the word “heart.” In January, His Holiness Pope Francis released a message on this topic for World Communications Day 2022.

Pop Quiz:

• How many people did you reach last week?

• How many were in-person, and how many were online?

• How many people do you reach through social media?

We know that parishes, schools and ministries can often operate from a “Scarcity Mindset” - or, too often, from actual scarcity. Smaller budgets, dwindling attendance and donor participation, and capital improvement projects can all take precedence over hiring or professional development.

Last October, Pope Francis launched the two-year discovery process to open the Synod on Synodality - a fresh look at the Catholic Church in the modern world. This aligns with one of KPC’s most frequent recommendations for parish work: move toward a co-responsible model of leadership.