Theresa “Tess” (Civantos) Barber ‘07, is a reporter for Aleteia, an online Catholic magazine, where she covers topics related to faith, family life, education, and building a culture of life for more than 10 million readers each month.
In September, Tess traveled to St. Louis to cover the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Her duties included attending a press conference, filming a tour of Sheen’s replica TV studio for social media, and writing several articles about the event.
“I loved walking through the event seeing hundreds of priests, monks and religious sisters, and joyful Catholic families. Every part of the experience was incredible and I’m so grateful I got to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event,” Tess expressed.
Tess has used Fulton Sheen for inspiration in her own duties as a journalist. “As a Catholic who works in media, I look to Blessed Fulton Sheen as an important patron. He fearlessly pioneered evangelization through the media, blazing a trail for the rest of us. When I face a work dilemma or challenge, I think of his example to remember that the purpose of this work isn’t anything about my own abilities, but glorifying Christ and spreading the Gospel,” she said.
When Tess was a student at Willows, she wrote for the school newspaper “Beyond the Clock,” which was the first step in her journalism career. She also had many influential teachers who helped foster her path to becoming a writer. “Ms. Ang was a favorite teacher who helped ignite my love of writing, and Ms. Schlosser… taught my class to memorize poems and had us practice different kinds of writing, all of which helped along the way,” said Tess.
After graduating from the Willows in 2007, Tess went on to attend the University of Notre Dame and majored in the Program of Liberal Studies with a minor in Journalism. She graduated in 2011 and married Frank Barber in 2013. They have four children and live in Downers Grove.
In her free time, Teresa enjoys baking sourdough, leading a Well-Read Mom book club, attending Orangetheory, and volunteering as a catechist for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
When asked for advice to current students at Willows, Tess encouraged students to learn about everything that interests you. “When I was a teenager, I thought it would be impossible to work as a professional writer in today’s world—but I just kept writing anyway because I loved doing it, and the work found me. Even if it doesn’t seem to make sense, keep chasing the things you love and find genuinely interesting. You never know where it may lead. Even more than that, pray about your future and invite God into your decisions. God has a plan for your life that might not be what you expect, but will be so much more incredible than you can imagine…”
Tess also noted, “As a journalist, I’ve closely covered the ongoing Catholic revival among young people today, especially in high schools and on college campuses around the country. I’m in awe of students today and their apostolic zeal. Keep doing what you’re doing—you are all incredible and I’m looking forward to seeing all that you do in the years ahead.”
Please visit https://aleteia.org/ or https://aleteia.org/author/theresa-civantos-barber/ to read some of Tess’ articles.
