On March 1, 2026, a new voice will help shape the way the Vatican communicates with the world. Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić, M.V.Z., a Croatian religious sister and communications professional, as Deputy Director of the Holy See Press Office—the office that briefs journalists, issues official statements, and serves as one of the Church’s most visible gateways to the global media.

Sister Nina Krapić, alongside Pope Leo XIV.

The announcement arrived through the Vatican’s daily bulletin and was echoed by Vatican News: Sister Nina replaces Cristiane Murray, who is stepping down after serving in the role since 2019.

Beyond the headline, the appointment carries several layers of significance: the Vatican is entrusting a major communications leadership role to a 36-year-old sister (born June 7, 1989), trained both in law and public relations, with professional experience ranging from journalism to accompaniment of women escaping domestic violence. She brings into the heart of Vatican communications a distinctly Vincentian heritage, as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Zagreb—a congregation that belongs to the wider Vincentian Family.

What the Holy See Press Office Does—and Why This Role Matters

For many Catholics, Vatican communications can feel like a distant, highly specialized world. But the Holy See Press Office sits at an important crossroads where Church life meets public attention. Its responsibilities include:

• Publishing official communiqués and updates about papal activities
• Briefing journalists and responding to questions that may affect the Church’s reputation and pastoral mission
• Coordinating with the Dicastery for Communication and other Vatican entities so messaging is accurate, timely, and coherent
• Providing a steady hand when the news cycle moves fast—especially during crises or sensitive global events

That makes the deputy director’s role more than administrative. It is both strategic and pastoral: strategic because every phrase can reverberate internationally, and pastoral because communication—at its best—serves truth, protects dignity, and helps people encounter the Church as a real community, not a distant institution.

Vatican News notes that Sister Nina already serves within the Dicastery for Communication, meaning she steps into the Press Office not as an outsider, but as someone formed inside the Vatican communications ecosystem.

The Appointment in Brief: What We Know (and What It Suggests)

The Vatican bulletin offers a concise but informative biographical sketch:

• Born: Rijeka, Croatia, June 7, 1989
• Education: Law degree (University of Rijeka, 2015); specialization in Public Relations (University of Zagreb, 2023)
• Religious vows: In the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, vows pronounced August 13, 2023
• Professional experience: Journalist; legal advisor for women victims of domestic violence and other marginalized persons; communications leadership in the Church
• Vatican service: Official of the Dicastery for Communication since 2023; currently pursuing a doctorate in social sciences at the Pontifical Gregorian University (Collegium Maximum)

Vatican News adds context: she served as head of communications for Caritas of the Archdiocese of Rijeka, blending church communications with hands-on social mission—precisely the kind of experience that can keep “media strategy” from becoming detached from real human lives.

Meeting Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić: A Biography Shaped by Law, Storytelling, and Service

Even in the Vatican’s brief “curriculum vitae,” a clear thread emerges: Sister Nina’s path weaves together legal formation, communication expertise, and a consistent focus on people at the margins.

1) A legal mind with a pastoral horizon

A law degree is not the typical first chapter in a religious sister’s public profile—but it makes sense here. The Press Office requires precision: wording must be accurate, cautious, and faithful to what the Holy See intends to say. Legal training often strengthens:

• clarity under pressure
• respect for facts and documentation
• awareness of institutional responsibilities
• the ability to weigh consequences without panic

… and her legal work is not described in abstract terms: she has served as a legal advisor for women who are victims of domestic violence and for “other marginalized people.” That detail matters. It suggests she has not only studied justice but has encountered it as something urgent and personal, where communication can either protect or expose, heal or harm.

2) A communicator formed in the real world

Before Vatican service, she worked as a journalist. Journalism forms an instinct for:

• what questions people will ask
• what information must be clarified early
• how narratives spread (and how misinformation grows)
• how to translate complex realities into accessible language

This is particularly valuable in Vatican communications, where theological nuance meets global headlines.

Her specialization in public relations (University of Zagreb, 2023) complements that experience with strategy: listening to stakeholders, building trust, and communicating consistently over time rather than merely reacting to crises.

3) Leadership in ecclesial communications

The bulletin notes she held the office of Head of Communication for the Archdiocese of Rijeka, and Vatican News specifies her role for Caritas of that archdiocese. This is significant: diocesan and Caritas communications demand both professional skill and spiritual tact. One must speak credibly to journalists and donors, but also to volunteers, clergy, parish communities, and people receiving help—each group hearing words differently.

4) Vatican formation: Dicastery for Communication and doctoral studies

Since 2023 she has served as an official in the Dicastery for Communication and is pursuing doctoral studies in social sciences at the Gregorian. In practical terms, this means she is stepping into her new assignment with:

• direct experience of Vatican communications culture
• academic work that likely engages questions of society, institutions, media, and public discourse
• a professional and intellectual toolkit designed for today’s complex communication landscape

Her Congregation: The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Zagreb (M.V.Z.)

The initials M.V.Z. refer to the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Zagreb (Latin: Congregatio Sororum Caritatis Zagrebiensis).

Origins and historical context

According to reference sources, the Congregation developed in the mid-19th century in Zagreb, connected to a broader Central European current of “Sisters of Charity” foundations and eventually established as its own congregation in 1856, later recognized as of pontifical right in the 20th century.

While the details of institutional history can feel distant, what matters spiritually is the Congregation’s durable emphasis on practical charity—the Vincentian hallmark: love made credible through action.

Mission and works

Descriptions of the Congregation’s apostolate highlight ministries such as:

• education and Christian formation
• care for the sick and elderly
• service to the poor and vulnerable
• initiatives adapting to social needs across countries

Vatican News has also featured the Congregation’s missionary presence, including service among the poor and marginalized in the Solomon Islands, reflecting a charism that travels well: close to people, attentive to need, and grounded in faith expressed through service.

A Congregation within the Vincentian Family

The Sisters of Charity of Zagreb are recognized as part of the Vincentian Family, the worldwide spiritual family inspired by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac.

That matters because Vincentian spirituality tends to form communicators in a particular way:

• Concrete: focused on reality, not abstractions
• Humble: willing to serve without seeking the spotlight
• Compassionate: attentive to suffering, especially hidden suffering
• Pragmatic and creative: able to improvise charity when needs change

A Press Office shaped by that spirit can become not merely efficient, but more human—less defensive, more truthful; less reactive, more grounded.

Why This Appointment Resonates Today

1) A generational signal

At 36, Sister Nina represents a generation formed in a very different media environment than Vatican communications faced even a decade ago—an environment of instant commentary, fragmented narratives, and social-media-driven cycles. Her combined training in law, PR, and journalism positions her for that reality.

2) The credibility of lived proximity to suffering

The Vatican bulletin does something unusual: it explicitly names her work with women victims of domestic violence and marginalized persons. That is not a decorative line in a résumé. It suggests her leadership style may be marked by:

• sensitivity to vulnerable people’s privacy and safety
• awareness of trauma and how public language can retraumatize
• a desire to keep communication tethered to human dignity rather than institutional self-protection

3) Vincentian spirituality in a communications key

Vincentians often say: love is inventive to infinity. In communications, “inventive love” can look like:

• choosing clarity over cleverness
• listening before responding
• communicating truth without humiliating anyone
• refusing to turn people into “cases” or “problems”
• giving special attention to those who rarely get a microphone

This does not mean “spin.” It means communication as service—a form of charity that respects truth and seeks the good of souls.

The Road Ahead: What Fruitful Service Could Look Like

No one appointment “solves” Vatican communications. Nevertheless, Sister Nina’s profile points toward a few hopeful priorities:

• Professional rigor anchored in lived faith
• Strategic communication that still speaks like the Church—pastoral, honest, and humane
• Greater integration between the Church’s social mission (Caritas, justice, protection of the vulnerable) and the way the Vatican explains itself publicly
• A press office culture that understands that every headline touches real people: victims, refugees, families, priests, religious, and ordinary believers trying to live the Gospel

In Vatican News’ coverage, Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, thanked Cristiane Murray for her service and expressed confidence in Sister Nina’s “professional and human qualities”—a telling pairing. In the Church, competence matters; character matters just as much.

A Vincentian Presence at the Microphone

The appointment of Sister Nina Benedikta Krapić, M.V.Z., is news not only because it concerns a high-profile Vatican role, but also because  it is a quiet spiritual sign: a Sister of Charity, formed by the Vincentian tradition of humble, practical service, is being asked to help the Church speak to the world.

On March 1, 2026, she will step into a place where words travel fast, where misunderstanding can multiply quickly, and where truth must be spoken with both courage and care. If her biography is any indication—law, journalism, PR, Caritas, accompaniment of the vulnerable—she will bring to the Vatican microphone something the world desperately needs: communication shaped not only by skill, but by compassion.