Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. With a focus on religion, spirituality, and cultural issues, she explores themes related to Christianity, church administration, and religious practices, drawing from her extensive reporting experience across three continents. Courtney's work has been featured in numerous respected outlets, including The Catholic Herald, National Catholic Register, and Inside The Vatican Inc.
Preston is the artificial intelligence that powers the Intelligent Relations PR platform. Meet Preston
Not enough data
Courtney Mares' consistent coverage of Vatican and Catholic Church-related topics, particularly government announcements and events, suggests a clear focus on official statements and significant developments within the institution. To effectively reach out to her, consider providing in-depth insights or analysis related to contemporary issues within the Catholic Church, such as synodality or changes in church doctrine.
Given Courtney's national geographic focus on the United States, she may also be interested in stories that have implications for American Catholics or how global events impact local communities. Additionally, considering her emphasis on culture & society and family & relationships themes intertwined with religious matters could help tailor pitches for her beat.
This information evolves through artificial intelligence and human feedback. Improve this profile .
By: Courtney Mares
ROME (OSV News) — Preparations are in full swing for World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul, South Korea, where Pope Leo XIV is expected to join young Catholics from around the world for the second World Youth Day ever held in Asia. The Aug. 3-8, 2027, gathering comes more than three decades after the first […]
By: Courtney Mares
Pope Leo XIV gestures to pilgrims Aug. 3, 2025, the day of the closing Mass for the Jubilee of Youth at the Tor Vergata open-air field in Rome. (OSV News photo/Vatican Media via Reuters)
By: Courtney Mares
The Vatican announced Aug. 11 that Pope Leo XIV's message for the 2027 World Day of Peace will focus on "disarming technology" and political leaders' moral responsibility.
By: Courtney Mares
The Vatican announced Aug. 11 that Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 2027 World Day of Peace will focus on “disarming technology” and political leaders’ moral responsibility. The theme will be “Disarming Technology, Serving Peace. Politics as Preventive Responsibility,” according to the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. “His Holiness wishes to draw attention […]
By: Courtney Mares
Pope Leo XIV presides over Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi, Italy, Aug. 6, 2026, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The Vatican announced Aug. 11 that Pope Leo XIV's message for the 2027 World Day of Peace will focus on "disarming technology" and political leaders'moral responsibility. (OSV News photo/Simone Risoluti, Vatican Media)
By: Courtney Mares
(OSV News) -- Pope Leo XIV encouraged sisters to foster vocations to religious life in the United States in a video message sent Aug. 12. Addressing participants in the Leadership Conference of Women Religious assembly taking place in Orlando, Florida, the pope said "the work of fostering religious vocations is of vital importance," noting that
By: Courtney Mares
Screenshot of Pope Leo XIV's video address to participants in the Leadership Conference of Women Religious assembly in Orlando, Fla. Credit: YouTube
By: Courtney Mares
A Vatican collector coin set, the first issued during the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, is seen in a image from the Governorate of Vatican City State. Released July 30, 2026, it includes a five-euro commemorative coin depicting the moment St. Francis renounced his worldly possessions before the bishop of Assisi, Italy, to mark the 800th anniversary of the saint's death on the opposite side of Pope Leo's visage. (OSV News image/courtesy Governatorato SCV)
The new Vatican coins are the first in nearly a decade to feature a pope's face since Francis requested in 2017 that his portrait no longer appear on Vatican coins.
By: Robert A. Dowd, Courtney Mares
It is the first time that the Vatican has issued coins featuring a pope's portrait in nearly a decade. In 2017, Pope Francis requested that his portrait no longer appear on Vatican coins, making the Vatican at the time the only euro-issuing state without a depiction of its head of state on circulating coins.
