[Video] Word on Fire’s 25th anniversary

[Watch] Looking Ahead to 2025

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Dear Friend, As we celebrate the beginning of the new year, Word on Fire is marking an even bigger milestone: our 25th anniversary! It's hard to believe that 25 years have gone by so quickly, but it was indeed in 2000 that my first Sunday Sermon aired on WGN Radio in Chicago—and Word on Fire was born.  I never could have imagined that this would one day lead to millions of people encountering Word on Fire's content every month, nor that this would include the production of podcasts and academic journals, the publishing of hundreds of books, the release of thousands of videos, half a million people receiving daily Gospel reflections via email—and so many other untold blessings! Word on Fire began as a humble answer to a question posed by Pope St. John Paul II to Cardinal Francis George: "What are you doing about evangelization in Chicago?" Cardinal George, who was my great mentor, returned from Rome and told me that I was to work on answering that question. Twenty-five years later, the answer—Word on Fire Catholic Ministries—has grown into a worldwide evangelization movement that is sparking conversions, reversions, and deeper encounters with Christ and his Church. LOOK BACK The theme of our anniversary year is "duc in altum," a Latin phrase drawn from the Gospel of Luke meaning "put out into the deep water" (Luke 5:4). There is still so much work to be done, and we have exciting plans to expand our reach in new ways in 2025 and beyond. We will continue to go out into the deep, answering the call of Cardinal George, John Paul II, and, ultimately, Jesus Christ himself to spread the Good News of the Gospel. I'm excited to celebrate Word on Fire's silver jubilee with you throughout the entire year. We will reflect on some of the highlights from the past 25 years, but also share a variety of exciting announcements about what lies ahead. LOOK AHEAD Your prayers and support have blessed this apostolate with tremendous success, impacting both the Church and the culture in so many positive ways. I am grateful and humbled to see how the Lord has used Word on Fire—and filled with hope for what the next 25 years will bring. Let us continue to go out into the deep! Duc in altum! + Bishop Robert Barron Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, PO Box 97330, Washington, DC 20090-7330, United States Manage Your Email Preferences .