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Looking Back on 25 Years
2000 – 2025
Proclaiming Christ in the Culture for 25 Years
Look back on a quarter century of Word on Fire’s evangelization efforts through this interactive timeline.
1999
“What are you doing about the evangelization of the culture?”
Pope John Paul II posed this question to Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago, who asked a young priest named Father Robert Barron to provide an answer. Listen to this episode of the Word on Fire Show to hear the full story.
https://www.wordonfire.org/videos/wordonfire-show/episode18/
December 31, 2000
First Sunday Sermon Airs on WGN Radio
Father Robert Barron begins recording his homilies to air on WGN Radio at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
https://www.wordonfire.org/videos/sermons/the-word-of-god-in-our-hands/
October 1, 2001
Word on Fire Website Launched
Looking for a way to more widely broadcast Father Barron’s Sunday Sermons beyond the Chicago area, Word on Fire launched its first website. It quickly became one of the most popular Catholic websites in the world and now has over 1.3 million unique visitors each year.
https://www.wordonfire.org/25th-anniversary-timeline/word-on-fire-website-launched/
October 3, 2010
First Sunday Sermon Airs on WGN America Cable TV
On Sunday, October 3, Chicago-based superstation WGN America launched a weekly half-hour television series, “Word on Fire with Father Robert Barron”—the first regular commercial television show hosted by a priest since Fulton Sheen.
April 2009
Word on Fire officially incorporated as a nonprofit
February 10, 2007
Bishop Barron Launches YouTube Channel
With a review of Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed,” Father Barron launches his YouTube channel. As a relatively early adopter of the platform, he begins to gain followers with insightful movie reviews that draw Catholic themes out of popular films.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/FfRqWdRUnxE?si=ZWoipsR9kzxKvylL
https://www.wordonfire.org/25th-anniversary-timeline/bishop-barron-launches-youtube-channel/
October 13, 2011
“CATHOLICISM” Series Airs Nationally on Public Television
The 10-part CATHOLICISM series airs on public television stations across the country, introducing thousands of viewers to Father Robert Barron as host of this straightforward documentary, which draws in viewers with the beauty of the faith.
March 16, 2015
First Book Published by Word on Fire
Word on Fire enters the publishing market with the publication of Father Barron’s “Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture,” a collection of his essays, film reviews, and reflections at the intersection of faith and culture.
July 21, 2015
Bishop Barron Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Pope Francis appoints Bishop Barron as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and titular bishop of Macriana in Mauritania.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WJUTZguAPGk?si=XSz_wbg2lhwtBK2z
December 15, 2015
The Word on Fire Show Launched
This weekly show launches with host Brandon Vogt engaging Bishop Barron on a variety of subjects related to faith and culture. Dr. Matt Petrusek took over as host in 2024, and there are now nearly 500 episodes of the show available online.
https://www.wordonfire.org/videos/wordonfire-show/episode1/?_gl=1*1lha0rw*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsOq6BhDuARIsAGQ4-zjYJxVzfEQGJi_qrhHxMgoP9cJJb3-qpsoh12aOhf0MDi3bo8QFhbcaAll_EALw_wcB
September 1, 2016
“CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players” Airs on PBS
The follow-up to the hit CATHOLICISM series aired nationally on PBS stations and profiled several saints and Catholic leaders who inspired the work of Word on Fire.
September 18, 2017
Bishop Barron Speaks at Facebook
In the first in a series of talks to secular tech companies, Bishop Barron addresses the staff of Facebook in a live-streamed keynote.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live?ref=watch_permalink&v=1533520986687023
March 20, 2018
Bishop Barron Speaks at Google
Bishop Barron participates in the “Talks at Google” series by addressing Google staff on the topic of “Religion and the Opening up of the Mind.”
https://www.youtube.com/embed/enDhX49F3XI?si=RDxud7r58dbqfplk
June 12, 2018
“The Mass” Film Released
October 1, 2018
Word on Fire Institute Launched
A new era begins for Word on Fire with the launch of the Word on Fire Institute. Today, the Institute has grown to include more than 27,000 members, 54 online courses, online community groups for a variety of interests, and a master’s program for a degree in evangelization and culture.
January 16, 2019
Bishop Barron Speaks at Amazon
Bishop Barron joined more than 200 employees at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle, Washington, to discuss his book “Arguing Religion.”
https://www.youtube.com/embed/MAmPawKRtbg?si=la2YWUVxt2QSzcpS
https://www.wordonfire.org/25th-anniversary-timeline/bishop-barron-speaks-at-amazon/
July 22, 2019
Letter to a Suffering Church Released
https://www.youtube.com/embed/gGxzM01gPLQ?si=6RFSqP13mIEthTQ7
September 19, 2019
Bishop Barron Hosts First of Three “AMAs” on Reddit
https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/join-bishop-barron-for-another-reddit-ama/
October 19, 2019
Bishop Barron Speaks at the Library of Congress
https://www.youtube.com/embed/-7KlaUIdWR4?si=r4TEa2MfwZt7heFc
March 27, 2019
“Bishop Barron Presents” Launched
https://www.youtube.com/embed/_UPvINiisdc?si=U1b2F9FUiTzNG8I3
May 20, 2020
“The Sacraments” Film Released
June 2020
The Word on Fire Bible Project Launched
November 17, 2020
Bishop Barron Speaks at US Naval Academy
https://www.youtube.com/embed/cBgmZdM0IKg?si=EMjjvdpZeLmX-Huw
January 15, 2021
Word on Fire Academic Imprint Launched
https://videos.wordonfire.org/wordonfireacademic
August 25, 2021
“The Creed” Film Released
October 22, 2021
Bishop Barron Speaks at West Point
April 5, 2022
Liturgy of the Hours Launched
https://www.youtube.com/embed/66GplWkfYbE?si=5olSnAif14L3Agd4
March 2022
Bishop Barron Speaks at US Air Force Academy
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ISvUhqwnePA?si=Ta3VxD-36Cq02ONh
June 2, 2022
Bishop Barron Appointed ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester
August 25, 2022
“Bishop Barron Presents” with Shia LaBeouf Goes Viral
https://www.youtube.com/embed/hjxKG4mR3U4?si=RsaPqQi2Uw0ku3aJ
January 13-14 2023
Word on Fire Produces First Wonder Conference
February 6, 2023
Bishop Barron Addresses the Houses of Parliament in UK Pilgrimage
https://www.wordonfire.org/london/
May 3, 2023
10,000 Rosaries Prayed by Word on Fire Followers
https://www.wordonfire.org/pray-rosary/
July 2023
Word on Fire Donates Thousands of Bibles to College Students
https://www.wordonfire.org/bible-college
August 2, 2023
Bishop Barron Speaks at World Youth Day in Lisbon
https://www.wordonfire.org/wyd/
August 23, 2023
“This Is My Body” Sells One Millionth Copy
https://www.instagram.com/bishopbarron/reel/CwTVmUjomOz/
September 13, 2023
Word on Fire Expands to the United Kingdom
2022
Word on Fire Votive Imprint Launched
https://votive.wordonfire.org/
February 19, 2024
Bishop Barron’s YouTube Channel Reaches One Million Subscribers
April 4, 2024
Word on Fire Launches Works of Mercy Fund
https://www.wordonfire.org/mercy
February 15, 2024
“The New Ressourcement” Journal Launched
https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/the-new-ressourcement-an-interview-with-jason-paone/
July 20, 2024
Bishop Barron Speaks at the National Eucharistic Congress
https://www.wordonfire.org/videos/wordonfire-show/wof-454-bishop-barrons-nec-keynote-address/
October 24, 2024
Word on Fire Launches Project to Publish Collected Works of Joseph Ratzinger
https://book.wordonfire.org/ratzinger