ABOUT

In Solidarity is a nonprofit communications firm serving the Catholic Church in expressing its commitment to stand with the poor and marginalized. We tell stories of affected individuals, reveal the transformative work of the Church, and inspire meaningful public discourse in pursuit of the common good.

Executive Director lonnie ellis

Lonnie Ellis, OFS, has ten years of experience communicating Catholic teaching on the social mission of the Church. The first consulting project for Lonnie and In Solidarity was a strategic communications initiative for USCCB on immigration in the fall and winter of 2016-2017.

Prior to his consulting work through In Solidarity, Lonnie served as associate director for Catholic Climate Covenant. His responsibilities included developing media strategy, serving as spokesperson, and managing allied relationships. He was a member of the team responsible for the U.S. introduction of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si’ in collaboration with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Lonnie has presented on Catholic social teaching at an array of events in the U.S. and abroad. He was especially honored to co-lead a presentation at the Vatican on Laudato Si’ for diplomats with Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development. Lonnie has spoken about the Church's social teaching for national and international media outlets including PBS, Le Monde, The Christian Science Monitor, and EWTN.

Lonnie is a lay member of the Order of Franciscans Secular (OFS), making a solemn profession to live simply and work for justice. He got his start in ministry at the parish level, serving St. Thomas More parish in St. Paul, MN, for four years. Lonnie holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Washington Theological Union in Washington, DC.