KANSAS CITY, MO. — The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) announced today that Justin McLellan will join the organization as Vatican correspondent, effective July 14, 2025. McLellan brings extensive experience in international reporting and multimedia storytelling to strengthen NCR’s comprehensive Vatican coverage.
McLellan previously served as Rome correspondent for Catholic News Service, the news arm of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he provided award-winning coverage of Pope Francis and the Vatican. His career also includes roles as a reporter for Rome Reports, a television news agency specializing in Vatican coverage, where he wrote and recorded scripts for video news stories and provided translation services.
“Justin is a skilled journalist whose multilingual capabilities and deep Vatican sourcing will be invaluable,” Executive Editor James V. Grimaldi said. “With great writing and multimedia talents, Justin will deliver coverage of Pope Leo that will continue the 60-year-old tradition of comprehensive, thoughtful, insightful and groundbreaking coverage of the Vatican that has made NCR the place to go for news about the Catholic Church.”
A native of Newark, Delaware, McLellan holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in philosophy and theology with a minor in Italian from the University of Notre Dame and was awarded a Fulbright teaching fellowship. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian, with advanced French and intermediate Portuguese skills, enabling him to navigate the multilingual Vatican environment effectively.
McLellan’s appointment comes during a period of remarkable growth for NCR. The organization’s successful conclave coverage drew upward of 6 million unique users, record readership, and generated increased engagement on social media and discussion among national and Catholic media outlets. NCR was recently honored with more than 70 Catholic Media Association awards, including the St. Francis de Sales Award for news editor Carol Zimmermann.
###
The National Catholic Reporter is an independent Catholic news source founded in 1964 and based in Kansas City, Missouri. NCR provides news and commentary on issues related to the Catholic Church and the world. The publication can be read online at NCRonline.org.
Contact:
James V. Grimaldi, Joe Ferullo
National Catholic Reporter
(202) 439-0104
[email protected], [email protected]
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RNS or Religion News Foundation.