What began as a way to spiritually accompany the faithful during the pandemic lockdown has become a digital evangelization project with thousands of followers and a huge impact on social media. Priest on Board was launched in March 2020, driven by two Colombian priests from Opus Dei, Santiago Villa and Luis Miguel Bravo. Both studied journalism at the University of La Sabana and later pursued theological studies in Rome.
Both felt the need to be close to their communities during the pandemic, when lockdown restricted many pastoral activities. Father Luis Miguel explains that “We decided to start recording short spiritual talks for the students at our schools. The first ones, dedicated to St. Joseph and the Annunciation, were so well received that, encouraged by many parents, we opened a YouTube channel. YouTube and later Instagram, thanks to the help of four volunteer collaborators located in Colombia, Madrid, and Guatemala.”.
Variety of content
Since then, Priest on Board has grown organically and creatively. With an approachable and flexible style—which its creators compare to a bike ride—they have produced a wide variety of formats: street videos, in-depth interviews, conversion testimonials, and participation in events such as World Youth Day in Lisbon. They have featured guests such as Carlo Acutis' mother, Eduardo Verástegui, and pro-life activist Lupe Batallán.
In addition, the channel has developed a significant podcast lineup. Among the most popular are Meditating with Soccer, where reflections on the Gospel are linked to current events in soccer; Meditating with Film or Literature; Questions and Answers about Faith; and more recently Meditate with The Chosen, a space for spiritual meditations inspired by the successful series on the life of Jesus. This latest project even has its own website and the collaboration of priests from different countries.
Key assistants
As Father Luis Miguel explains, “the channel Priest on Board would not be possible without the constant help of four collaborators who have been present since its inception in Instagram. They are young women, professionals from different fields, who volunteered to help with tasks such as graphic design, video editing, social media management, and fan engagement. One of them, a mother of five, lives in Guatemala; another lives in Madrid; and the remaining two are in Colombia.”. Although they did not know each other at first, today they form a close-knit team that handles much of the work behind the scenes and has been instrumental in the channel's growth.
With nearly 84,000 followers on Instagram and a growing community in YouTube and audio platforms, Priest on Board is today a benchmark of how creativity, faith, and friendship can bear fruit in the midst of adversity. Its mission, they assure us, “remains the same: to help people pray with their daily lives and draw closer to God from anywhere.”.
