By Cian Molloy - 20 August, 2017
A mother-of-two has been appointed media and communications manager for the World Meeting of Families that takes place in Dublin in August next year.
Belturbet-born Brenda Drumm is being seconded from her current role as Communications Officer with the Catholic Communications Office (CCO) of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference to work with WMOF2018 for the next year.
She has been Communications Officer with the Bishops’ Conference for nearly 17 years. Among her CCO duties, she produces and presents Faithcast, the Bishops’ Conference weekly faith podcast. She is also the editor of Sharing the Good News, a monthly newsletter for parishes and dioceses.
Brenda has been instrumental in developing a presence for the Irish Catholic Church on digital media, and this autumn she will have her second book, entitled The Digital Parish, published by Veritas.
Brenda is a regular contributor to religious publications and radio programmes and she writes a monthly ‘Get Connected’ column for Intercom magazine.
Welcoming the new appointment, Archbishop Eamon Martin, President of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said: “The breadth of Brenda’s professional communications skills and gifts, as well as her deep commitment to the mission of the Church, highlights the importance of this key appointment with the World Meeting of Families 2018 executive team. As the one-year countdown gets under way, it is a signal to all of us to redouble our preparedness to ensure that this international celebration of faith is a success for the Church in Ireland, and universally. I pray God’s blessings to Brenda in her new role.”
World Meeting of Families Secretary General Fr Tim Bartlett also warmly welcomed the appointment, saying: “We could not be happier about Brenda’s secondment as a senior member of the WMOF2018 management team. She brings unrivalled skills in so many areas of Church communications, particularly the use of social media, and is highly respected by those who work with her both nationally and internationally. Helping people to connect with the preparations for the World Meeting and the event itself will be vital and Brenda is especially well placed to manage this role with energy, creativity and commitment.”
Although she is a Cavan native, Brenda has been living in Newbridge, Co. Kildare with her family since 1995. She is married to Bryan Tobin and they have two children, Emma (20) and Cathal (13).
In her spare time, Brenda is involved in the parish council of Saint Conleth’s Parish, Newbridge and is a soprano in a local choir. She has also been involved with Kfm, her local radio, for the past seven years, producing and presenting a weekly religious affairs programme.
Commenting on her appointment, Brenda said: “I am very much looking forward to the challenge of communicating the wonderful event that the World Meeting of Families is going to be. Family is everything to me and I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to be part of the team organising this important event in the life of the universal Church.”
The World Meeting of Families 2018 takes place in Dublin between Tuesday 21 and Sunday 26 August 2018, and is guided by the theme ‘The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World’. WMOF2018 will include exhibitions, cultural events and musical performances, events around the city, gestures of solidarity, as well as several key moments: a National Opening that will take place simultaneously in all Irish dioceses, a three-day congress that will reflect on the meeting’s theme; a Festival of Families that will be held on Saturday 25 August; and a Mass involving thousands of pilgrims on Sunday 26 August.
