Communication Campaign helps deliver the Good News to your ears

Michael Mroziak is a former longtime Buffalo radio journalist who, in August 2022, came to the Diocese of Buffalo to take on a new role as Senior Communications Specialist. Here, in his words, he explains his role within diocesan communications.

As a professional broadcaster, I spent roughly a quarter century using the medium of sound to deliver news stories, first for local commercial radio stations and later for public radio. What many folks may not know is that I’ve also worked with sound to voice narrations and promotions, call play-by-play for local baseball and hockey, and even create comedy and satire aired by college stations in the U.S. and Canada, and by the famed Dr. Demento Show.

Last August, however, my career path took an interesting curve. I was invited by the Diocese of Buffalo to join its Communications Department, where I am now tasked with producing informative, educational, creative, and sometimes even fun content.

Perhaps the most important development in recent months is the relaunch of the Diocese of Buffalo’s official podcast hosting site, Soundcloud.com/buffalodiocese. You may visit the website to listen and download all content for free. If you’re logging on using your smartphone, you may be prompted to download the Soundcloud app, but this is not required to access our content.

When you visit Soundcloud, you’ll see a link to various playlists. These playlists include WNY Catholic Audio News, which we introduced last fall to supplement many articles on WNYCatholic.org. You’ll also find archived WNY Catholic podcasts, as well as some new creative projects.

My work is not limited to news. Earlier this year, as part of the Diocese of Buffalo’s 175th Anniversary celebration, I wrote and produced a five-part audio drama podcast mini-series, “Dinners With Our Founders,” portraying imagined one-on-one dinner conversations with people who left significant and lasting impacts on our diocese, including St. John Neumann, Bishop John Timon, Sister Ursula Mattingly, Mother Colette Hilbert, and Father Nelson Baker. 

Another audio play podcast series is currently in production and will premiere this month. The new series, “Sister Justine’s Saint Tales,” is inspired by a real nun who worked within my own childhood school, and had a talent for engaging the students with stories of saints, some well-known and others more obscure. I am grateful to all those who have volunteered their voices in various roles, including children attending local Catholic schools. One of the missions of this particular series is to involve local Catholics and their talents, to create content which can be enjoyed by people within our own diocese, and also offered to other dioceses to share.

Other projects will be conceived, developed and produced as we move forward, with the hope people in Buffalo and Western New York can truly enjoy Catholic content. From the unfortunate and tragic clergy sex abuse scandal, to the Covid pandemic, to bankruptcy, it has been a very difficult period of time for the Diocese of Buffalo. But as Christ offers a path out of darkness towards light, our renewed communications efforts aim to help the diocese emerge from these tough times, to restore hope and even spark a renewed enthusiasm for our faith. It is my hope I may successfully use my skills to give you something that touches your ears, your mind, and your spirit.

As my colleague Patrick Buechi puts it, if you like what you see (and now hear), please give to the Catholic Communication Campaign so we can continue. Or if you don’t like it, please give so we may do better.

Thank you for prayerfully considering a gift to the Catholic Communication Campaign at Mass or through your e-offertory program on May 20-21. #iGiveCatholicTogether also accepts funds for the collection.