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.