A Schoenstatt Book in and for the Church
Sr. M. Nilza launches a book on the mission of the Catholic communicator
On May 27, the book The Vocation of the Catholic Communicator was officially launched. It was written by Sr. M. Nilza P. da Silva, from the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. Published by the Santuário (of the Brazil National Shrine of Aparecida) and Paulinas publishing houses, the book is part of the Pastoral Communication series of CNBB, the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil. It is aimed at Catholic communicators, Pascom (Pastoral Communication) members, and anyone interested in the subject.
With a foreword by Cristiane Murray, Deputy Director of the Vatican Press Office, the book addresses topics such as theology, spirituality, personal purpose, and mission. With a distinct Schoenstatt touch, Sr. M. Nilza invites readers to reflect on God’s personal call to communicate and prepare encounters with Him—God as the origin of communication, the Church with its mission to proclaim, and Mary as a teacher and model communicator.
How did the book come to be?
Sr. M. Nilza is a journalist and holds a master’s degree in the philosophy of language. She currently serves as the National Communication Coordinator for the Apostolic Movement of Schoenstatt in Brazil and is also a member of the International Communication Team of her institute. Since 2022, she has collaborated with the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, giving talks and training in communication and spirituality.
“This invitation came completely unexpectedly. I received a phone call from a representative of Santuário Publishing telling me that the CNBB Communication Commission had thought of me to write the third book in a trilogy on communication. The proposal was to write about the spirituality of the communicator, a topic I had already addressed in some Pascom talks,” the author explains.
The Pastoral Communication Collection
The first book in the series is titled The Mission of the Pastoral Communication Agent, written by Bishop Valdir José de Castro, Vatican reference bishop for communication. The second book, Pastoral Communication in a Synodal Key, was written by Marcus Tullius, who served as national coordinator of Pascom for many years. It covers the history of Pascom in Brazil, how to implement it in parishes, and offers training materials for pastoral agents.
Schoenstatt for the Church
Sr. M. Nilza’s “yes” to the project came from the conviction that participating would also be a way to offer Schoenstatt’s charism to the Church.
“I never imagined I would receive such an invitation from the CNBB. I accepted, but made it clear that I would write based on my spirituality and my lived experience in Schoenstatt communication. After all, ‘the mouth speaks what the heart is full of’,” she recalls.
She emphasizes that the book is intended for Catholic communicators in all areas—from those working in Pascom to influencers and digital missionaries. The main focus is not on technical terms, but on the identity, beauty, and responsibility of the Catholic communicator’s mission.
⚠️ Spoiler Alert
Curious about what you’ll find in the book related to Schoenstatt? Here’s a teaser:
“The value of this work is that we can gift the Church with the spirituality of our Father and Founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, and his theological approach as applied to communication. What Fr. Kentenich practiced in his communicative life strongly reminds me of what Pope Francis says about communication that is born from a personal encounter with God. In one part of the book, I present Fr. Kentenich as a great example of a communicator,” Sr. M. Nilza shares.
📚 Where can I find the book?
Download a sample and preview the book in PT.
Official launch on the YouTube channel of Pascom Brasil.
The book is available in digital and physical formats from Santuário and Paulinas publishing houses. It will also soon be available at Schoenstatt shrine bookstores.
To order the book from abroad, simply contact this WhatsApp number:
📱 +55 800 016 0004 (Brazil)