By Margaux Kay LaPointe, '11
 

Communication Department students are the only students in the world to be offered the opportunity to intern with the Vatican in Rome at the Internet Office of the Holy See, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and Catholic News Service. The Internet Office also provides Computing Sciences students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute directly to the Vatican Web site.

Communication students who intern at The Internet Office come from the department’s media production specialization. These students work to develop The Vatican’s presence on the web under the direction of the web site’s director. Computing Sciences students at The Internet Office provide programming for a variety of projects designated by the web site's director.

Students who intern with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications come from the Communication department’s public relations specialization. They intern with The Pontifical Council for Social Communications and work in media relations.

Communication students in the journalism specialization are eligible to take part in an internship with Catholic News Service. This organization, while not a part of the Vatican per se, was established by the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference to report on the role of the Church in the world. It is the oldest and largest news service reporting on religion in the world.

Samantha Chin, ’09, was the first intern with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications last semester. She helped coordinate the Pope’s message for this year’s World Communication Day. Her research into social networking sites played a large role in the Vatican’s decision to promote the message through social networking sites. Additionally, the Vatican has been launched on YouTube, a press conference covered this semester by the Department's second intern at the Pontifical Council, Elizabeth Rowland, '10.

Nicole Coia, ’09, is the first intern in journalism with the Rome bureau for Catholic News Service. Her articles, “Vatican asks better health care for children with Hansen's disease,” and “Vatican official: Integration needs effort from immigrants, neighbors,” are available online. She is also currently writing a blog for the CNS Web site, about her experiences in Rome at the Vatican. See links to the articles below.

Caroline Ford, ‘10, worked last semester creating multimedia content for the Vatican web site, some of which was on a project to be publicly unveiled in the coming months. This project will also involve work by this semester's interns in The Internet Office, Samantha Coveleski, ‘09, COM, and Cory Knobler, ‘10, CSC.

Coia shared her experiences while working at the Rome bureau of Catholic News Service, the news agency that provides news from the Vatican to the Catholic press in the United States.

"I absolutely love what I'm doing because I've been given real, hands-on responsibility, and every day is different," Coia said. "I spend my days in either the Vatican Press Office or the CNS news office. One of my favorite assignments was to attend a press conference at the Vatican about the launch of the Pope's YouTube page. There were journalists present from all around the world. I even met a Fox News correspondent from the United States. After the press conference, I wrote a blog article for the event, posted on the CNS Web site. Also, I attended one of the Pope's weekly general audience sessions and blogged about my experiences and first impressions of seeing the Pope. There were groups of people gathered together from all parts of the world to receive Pope Benedict XVI's blessing; there was a mariachi band from Mexico and an Italian circus group who brought out a baby lion for the Pope to pet.

"I've also done some more serious writing for the newswire. Recently, I wrote about a controversy in Spain; Catholic parents and their children there are boycotting a mandatory civics class in public schools that teaches controversial lessons on things like sexuality and family issues. Assignments such as these are interesting because they provide such diverse examples of events going on throughout the world. This internship has helped me to look beyond what's going on with the church in the United States, and it's opened my eyes to the controversy that goes on. It's been meaningful because I've really gotten to work on my journalistic skills, especially researching and reporting. The language barrier has certainly been a challenge, but it's been more than worth it to be immersed in a culture so different from my own. It's helped me to step out of my comfort zone. Also, it's been cool to have an international byline! My portfolio has improved significantly while working in Rome, which will be helpful when it comes time to apply for jobs. I know that many employers look for qualities that make you stand out, and I think that articles published from the Vatican will help me in that respect.

"The internship has definitely helped me in my preparation for a job after graduation. I took the position because I know that job experience abroad would definitely be beneficial, and it would help differentiate myself from others. It's been a challenge, especially with regards to language and culture differences. For instance, many of the press conferences I've attended were conducted in Italian. But I've managed to find a way to get by, relying on careful observations and visual cues. I've also been given more responsibility than I had anticipated, and it's provided me the opportunity to improve my newswriting skills. In just four weeks, I've already noticed significant improvement. I review all of my articles with my supervisor before sending them off to be edited, and it's been helpful to receive valuable feedback and advice. I've made several connections here as well. I've met journalists from France, Canada, Italy, and the United States, among others. By taking advantage of every opportunity I've been given, I feel like I'm preparing for life after graduation in May.

"I would recommend studying and/or working abroad to every college student. It's important to experience a culture other than your own. It allows you to expand your perspective on the world and to see your own culture through someone else's eyes. While abroad, it's important to meet people from the culture and do as much as you can to get involved. My time here has been an experience I wouldn't trade for any other. I wish I could go back in time and spend another semester abroad."

Students interested in learning more about the Vatican Experience should contact John O’Leary, Ph.D.


Helpful Links

Communication Department Vatican Experience

Vatican

Pontifical Council for Social Communications

Vatican on YouTube

“Vatican asks better health care for children with Hansen's disease”

“Vatican official: Integration needs effort from immigrants, neighbors”

 

Margaux Kay LaPointe, ’11, is a sophomore from Lebanon, Pa. She is an intern in the Office of Communications in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University. Margaux is majoring in communication with a specialization in public relations.

Margaux Kay LaPointe, ’11, is a sophomore from Lebanon, Pa. She is an intern in the Office of Communications in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Villanova University. Margaux is majoring in communication with a specialization in public relations.