Master Camps

Join us for these deep, hands-on and interactive learning experiences tailored for professionals looking to achieve Catholic media mastery.

Session 1 - Wednesday, June 25, 9-11 a.m.

All times Arizona | Schedule subject to updates.

What Makes Journalism ‘Catholic’?

  • Discover how journalism serves the Church and faith communities. Engage with questions like: What is Catholic journalism? What are its objectives? What role does it play in the Church and society? How does it interact with the general media landscape? Does Catholic journalism differ from secular journalism? Is it defined by its content or by its approach?

    Join discussions led by four seasoned journalists who teach the online course “Telling Truth in Charity: Introduction to Catholic Journalism,” offered by Canadian Catholic News (CCN) since 2023.

  • Barb Fraze, Laura Ieraci, Paul Schratz and Peter Stockland.

    Barb Fraze has won awards for reporting but is happiest when she is editing. She started as a copy editor at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, then served as the editor of an Indianapolis weekly before joining the now-closed Catholic News Service in Washington. She spent decades on the international desk, coordinating coverage with the Rome bureau and a network of international correspondents. She currently freelances and says as an editor she likes spinning straw into copper and silver into gold. She is the 2023 recipient of the Catholic Media Association’s St. Francis de Sales Award, which recognizes “outstanding contributions to Catholic journalism.”

    Laura Ieraci is editor of ONE magazine, the publication of Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Previously, she worked at Catholic News Service and Vatican Radio in Rome, Horizons of the Eparchy of Parma, Ohio, in the U.S., and in Canada for the Archdiocese of Montreal and the Catholic Times Montreal. She has freelanced widely and has won numerous journalism and editing awards. She serves on the board of Canadian Catholic News, where she coordinates its educational initiative in Catholic journalism.

    Paul Schratz has over 40 years’ experience in journalism, having worked as a reporter, photographer, editorial page editor, columnist, and editor at daily and weekly newspapers in Ontario and British Columbia. He started with the Archdiocese of Vancouver in 1997, serving at various times as communications director and editor of The B.C. Catholic, his current position. He is also editorial and outreach manager for Canadian Catholic News, overseeing news and social media strategies, fundraising, and outreach initiatives.

    Peter Stockland has been the publisher and editor of The Catholic Register in Canada's largest Catholic newspaper, since January 2022. He assumed direction of the Register, where he had been a freelance columnist for 12 years, after more than 40 years in newspapers and magazines across Canada. He is a former editor-in-chief of The Montreal Gazette, vice-president of English-language magazines for Reader’s Digest Canada, and co-founded Convivium magazine in 2011. He has published books of fiction and photo essays.

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Upping Our Collective PR ‘Game’

  • Looking for more from your PR activities? Do others seem to underappreciate your work? Intimidated by legal counsel? New to PR and don’t have time for further studies? Attend this Master Camp to dive deep into the world of Organizational Communications, exploring the realms of strategy and technical excellence, but most importantly the tried, tested and true ways of elevating the practice of PR within your diocese, organization or campaign, and in so doing, helping the Church to touch more hearts.

    This Master Camp is suitable for you if:

    • you’re looking to do more with your PR activities

    • leaders around you do not appreciate your work or your department’s work

    • yielding a solid ROI from your communications investments is proving challenging

    • you’re new to PR and don’t have time for accreditation, a specialized degree or further studies in PR

    • you’ve grown tired of being overruled by legal counsel

    • your spokespersons run away each time you have an interview opportunity for them or an enquiry from the media

    • you’re asked to drum up media interest ‘on demand’ when good things happen, but run for the hills when things get heated

    • you just need some good and wholesome group therapy

    Key learning outcomes:

    1. Nurturing and strengthening one’s worldview when it comes to PR and PR-related matters.

    2. Discovering (or rediscovering) the underpinnings of the profession (PR theories and strategies that work – but require boldness).

    3. Gaining confidence to stand tall – driving change for the better.

    4. Hone skills/abilities in: drafting and leveraging news releases, sketching annualized PR plans and learning a simple approach to crisis preparedness.*

    * Technical skills that will be broached in some detail: (a) news releases, (b) crisis preparedness and (c) annualized PR plans.

  • Daniel Torchia, APR, Torchia Communications Inc.

    Daniel Torchia is a communications consultant who is committed to enhancing the world through ethical and symmetrical organizational communications. His belief: that the world is made better when organizations, including the Church, communicate transparently, listen attentively to their publics and embrace the tested, tried and true principles of ethically-based Public Relations.

    He guides organizations in their public relations and communications efforts including media relations, content marketing, PR training, crisis management, donor relations and more. He has provided services and counsel to organizations such as Caritas, Catholic Near East Welfare Association, Catholic Christian Outreach, Knights of Columbus, NET Ministries, Pontifical Mission Societies, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, University of St. Michael’s College at U of T and various dioceses, seminaries and other faith-based client-partners.

    A champion of the intersection of PR theory and faith, Daniel has delivered courses and workshops for seminarians, lay Catholic leaders, priests and bishops.

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Be Renewed! A Spiritual Toolkit for Communicators

  • Do you feel drained from your life as a media professional? Does your communications work sometimes feel like endless to-do lists without a moment to slow down and remember why you were called to this work in the first place?

    Communicators have an important role to play in the mission in the Church – and are often on the front lines as the faces and voices of dioceses, parishes or apostolates. The need to be refreshed and to rediscover the meaning of our vocation in Christ is real. This Master Camp will give you the tools you need to find spiritual renewal and strength in your communications work.

    In this Master Camp you will learn:

    • How to keep Christ at the center of your life and work, and inspire others to do the same

    • Best practices for integrating prayer with media work

    • Tools to face spiritual challenges in communications

    • And how to create a spiritual program for your life.

    This Master Camp can be the spiritual renewal you need for your communications mission as you seek to serve the Kingdom of God!

  • Sr. Nancy Usselmann, FSP, DMin and Michael Heinlein.

    Sr Nancy Usselmann, FSP, DMin is a Daughter of St Paul and Director of Pauline Media Studies. As a Media Literacy Educator, speaker, writer, and film/tv reviewer, she presents ways to engage thoughtfully with popular media using faith values and spirituality. Her latest book is Media Fasting: Six Weeks to Recharge in Christ. When not praying or sharing life with her community of sisters, she can often be seen at red carpet premieres and film panels around Hollywood.

    Michael R. Heinlein is an award-winning author of nine books, including Glorifying Christ: The Life of Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I. and a regular contributor to OSV News. Michael is a promised member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators, serves as an episcopal master of ceremonies in his diocese, and is also editor of SimplyCatholic.com. He is married with three children.

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Shoot, Edit, Share: Mastering Mobile Video

  • In today’s fast-paced media landscape, the ability to capture high-quality video quickly and efficiently is crucial for Catholic media professionals across roles — from journalists to communications directors, social media specialists, and beyond. This hands-on workshop will equip participants with essential skills to transform their smartphones into powerful tools for multimedia storytelling. Attendees will learn best practices for shooting professional-grade video on their phones, including tips on composition, lighting, and sound, alongside basic video editing techniques that can be done directly on their devices. Additionally, the session will cover strategies for quickly sharing content on social media and other platforms, making it ideal for anyone seeking to enhance their audience engagement through compelling visual content. Participants will have the opportunity to capture and share “conference highlight” videos in a group or on social media using a conference hashtag, adding a dynamic element to their storytelling toolkit.

  • Timothy Durski, Director of Communications, Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta.

    With close to fifteen years in nonprofit marketing and communications experience, Tim Durski helps Catholic organizations share the Gospel more effectively through photography and videography, creative direction, and digital platform management. Tim presently oversees communications at Atlanta's Cathedral of Christ the King, home to over 5,000 Catholic families. Tim served as the marketing and communications director for Holy Spirit Preparatory School, an independent Catholic school, and worked in marketing, communications, and development roles for the Daughters of the American Revolution and Habitat for Humanity. He earned his Bachelor's degree in English from Mercer University, and his Master's in Teaching from Georgia College. He has served on the board of a Catholic parish, and presently serves as a judge for the Catholic Media Association's annual awards program.

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