Sr. M. Nilza P. da Silva, a journalist and member of the Secular Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, received the Paul VI Journalism Award on Friday, August 21. The award was presented during the 13th Social Communication Seminar, organized by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro and PUC-Rio.
Recognition Built on Years of Dedicated Work
Sr. M. Nilza is a journalist with a master’s degree in Philosophy of Language. Since 2022, she has collaborated with the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), offering talks and formation programs on communication and spirituality.
In 2025, she published The Vocation of the Catholic Communicator, through Santuário and Pauline Publishers. The book is part of the Pastoral Communication collection, which serves Catholic communicators, those involved in the Pastoral Communication Ministry (Pascom), and others interested in the field.
Throughout 2026, Sr. M. Nilza has dedicated herself even more deeply to this mission, bringing the Schoenstatt charism into every setting in which she serves. Yet the recognition came as a surprise. “I received this award with great surprise because I never expected to receive this kind of recognition from the Archdiocese and PUC-Rio, which organize the seminar. They are a national reference in the field of communication and know my work well. For that very reason, they also know what still needs to be improved,” she said.
A Recognition Shared by the Entire Schoenstatt Family
For Sr. M. Nilza, the award is not simply a recognition of her own work. It is also a gift for her Schoenstatt community during a particularly significant year: the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary.
“First of all, I dedicate this award to God and to the Mother of God, who are communicators par excellence. I dedicate it to my Institute of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and to my superiors, who invest so much in my formation and make it possible for me to serve the Church through this mission.
“I also dedicate it to our Founder, Fr. Joseph Kentenich, my foremost model as a communicator. In his time, he anticipated many of the communication strategies we recognize today. He showed us that authentic communication flows from the effort to live the truth we proclaim.
“May this award help make his legacy better known, contribute to the glory of the Mother and Queen, and serve the mission she carries out through the Schoenstatt Shrines,” she said.
The Mission Continues
The award, however, is not the conclusion of Sr. M. Nilza’s work. Her schedule of seminars, talks, and formation programs continues as she addresses one of the great challenges facing Catholic communication today: proclaiming the Gospel in a society shaped by new languages, new media, and new ways of relating to one another.
For Sr. M. Nilza, communication is ultimately more than a professional field. It is a mission—one that calls communicators to place their gifts at the service of the Church and to ensure that the truth they proclaim is reflected in the way they live.