Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Bishop Robert Barron

bishop barron

Word on Fire founder Bishop Robert Barron is bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota) and an acclaimed author, speaker, and theologian. He is one of the most followed Catholics in the world on social media, prompting Francis Cardinal George to describe him as “one of the Church’s best messengers.”

Bishop Barron was ordained a priest in 1986 in the Archdiocese of Chicago and appointed to the theological faculty of Mundelein Seminary in 1992. He has served as a visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. He was twice scholar in residence at the Pontifical North American College at the Vatican.

He served as the Rector/President of Mundelein Seminary University of St. Mary of the Lake from 2012 until 2015. On July 21, 2015, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Barron to be Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He was ordained bishop on September 8, 2015. On Thursday, June 2, 2022, at noon Rome time, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Robert Barron the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota).

Bishop Barron received a Master’s Degree in Philosophy from the Catholic University of America in 1982 and a doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Institut Catholique de Paris in 1992. His other advanced degrees include:

2023: Doctor of Public Service, Honoris Causa, Hillsdale College
2022: Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, Benedictine College
2019: Doctor of Theology, Honoris Causa, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas
2018: Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, Assumption College
2017: Doctor of Divinity, Honoris Causa, Saint Anselm College
2016: Doctor of Sacred Theology, Honoris Causa, Dominican House of Studies
2013: Doctor of Religious Education, Honoris Causa, Providence College
2012: Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa, Lewis University

Bishop Barron is the creator and host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary series about the Catholic Faith. The series has aired on hundreds of PBS stations across the world and has been used by parishes, universities, and schools as an essential resource. Since then, Bishop Barron and Word on Fire also released the follow-up documentary, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, on the mystics, scholars, artists, and saints who shaped the Church and changed the world. Bishop Barron and his growing Word on Fire team have also released dozens of films, books, and study programs, along with an ever-growing collection of apparel and art. The ministry strives to consistently produce high-quality content, including brief and lively theological reviews of contemporary culture in movies, books, music, current events, and more.

Bishop Barron is a #1 Amazon bestselling author and has published numerous books, essays, and articles on theology and the spiritual life. He was a religion correspondent for NBC and has appeared on FOX News, CNN, and EWTN.

Bishop Barron’s website, WordOnFire.org, reaches millions of people each year. The site hosts daily and weekly articles and video commentaries, as well as an extensive audio archive. Bishop Barron’s homilies are heard by tens of thousands of listeners each week. His regular YouTube videos have received over 131 million views, and over 540,000 people receive his daily email reflections. Episodes of his podcast, The Word on Fire Show, have been viewed over 22 million times. Bishop Barron is one of the most-followed Catholics in the world on social media. His work has garnered:

Bishop Barron has produced over 400 online video commentaries. His productions include brief and lively theological reviews of contemporary culture, including movies, books, music, current events, and more. 

He has engaged in dialogue with Dr. Jordan Peterson, Lex Fridman, Dave Rubin, Ben Shapiro, and William Lane Craig, among other influencers and thought leaders, and he has been invited to speak about religion at the headquarters of Facebook, Google, and Amazon. He has keynoted many conferences and events all over the world, including the 2016 World Youth Day in Kraków and the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which marked Pope Francis’ historic visit to the United States.

His Word on Fire Institute is a hub for spiritual and intellectual formation, training members of the Word on Fire movement to proclaim Christ in the culture.

Brief Biography

Bishop Robert Barron is the bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester (Minnesota) and the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. He is the host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary about the Catholic Faith, which aired on PBS. Bishop Barron’s more recent film series, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, has won an Emmy award and has been syndicated for national television.

Bishop Barron is a #1 Amazon bestselling author and has published numerous books, essays, and articles on theology and the spiritual life. He was a religion correspondent for NBC and has also appeared on FOX News, CNN, and EWTN.

Bishop Barron’s website, WordOnFire.org, reaches millions of people each year, and he is one of the world’s most followed Catholics on social media. His YouTube videos have been viewed over 131 million times, and he has over 3 million followers on Facebook.

He has engaged in dialogue with Dr. Jordan Peterson, Lex Fridman, Dave Rubin, Ben Shapiro, and William Lane Craig, among other influencers and thought leaders, and he has been invited to speak about religion at the headquarters of Facebook, Google, and Amazon. He has keynoted many conferences and events all over the world, including the 2016 World Youth Day in Kraków and the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, which marked Pope Francis’ historic visit to the United States.