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A FREE Online Event Offering Inside Access to Bishop Barron's Word on Fire Catholic Ministries

John Barron is Development Director of Word on Fire. He formally joined his brother’s ministry in 2019 after a long career in journalism.

Barron was previously Editor in Chief and Publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times. He was also Senior Vice President of News and Editorial for its parent company, Sun-Times Media.

At Tribune Publishing, he served as Editor and General Manager of the Tribune Content Agency.

With Crain Communications, he was Editor of Detroit Monthly (the city magazine for metro Detroit) and an editor at Crain’s Chicago Business.

Barron is a member of the board of directors of Word on Fire. He also is Past President of The Illinois Press Association, serves on the College of Communications advisory board at Marquette University and is board chair of Fenwick High School in Oak Park, IL.

He holds a Journalism degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee.


Matthew Becklo is a husband and father, cultural commentator, and the Publishing Director for Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire Catholic Ministries. His writing can be found at Word on Fire, Strange Notions, and Aleteia. Follow him @MatthewBecklo on Twitter.


  • A behind the scenes look at how we work on The Word on Fire Bible
  • A sneak peek at Volume II

Did you miss a previous Inside Word on Fire event?

Watch the replays below.


 October 5, 2020 | Discussion with the designers of The Word on Fire Bible

 July 21, 2020 | Discussion on WOF's response to COVID-19 and the Word on Fire Institute 


December 12, 2019 | Discussion on 2019's biggest accomplishments and a sneak peek of what 2020 holds


October 24, 2019 | Discussion on Bishop Barron's Oxford lecture and The Sacraments