Director of communications appointed

Bishop Ronald A. Hicks today announced the appointment of Mary Massingale as director of communications for the Diocese of Joliet. The appointment is effective March 22.

“A strategic communications plan is key to any evangelization effort,” said Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of the Diocese of Joliet. “Ms. Massingale brings two decades of varied experience, primarily as a Catholic communications professional and as an Illinois public affairs journalist. We are pleased to have attracted such a dedicated leader to the Diocese of Joliet.”

As director, Massingale will formulate and oversee an overall communications strategy that furthers the mission of the Catholic Church in the diocese.

Massingale has worked since 2011 as director of communications for the Catholic Conference of Illinois, which serves as the public policy arm of the Church at the Illinois Capitol. In that role, she has raised the organization’s public profile beyond Illinois state lawmakers through media relations and the creation of written, digital, social media, video and audio content.

Prior to joining the Catholic Conference, Massingale worked as a public affairs journalist covering the Illinois Legislature and state government, focusing on social services and social justice issues. During her tenure with the State Journal-Register in Springfield, she won first-place awards from Capitolbeat, a national association that provided training and support to statehouse reporters and editors.

She also previously served in communications roles for a collaboration of three statewide nursing home associations and the Illinois Education Association.

Massingale holds a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois Springfield and a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from Western Illinois University.