For immediate release: January 5, 2025

New Assistant Director: Grace Mazza Urbanski
-author, vocalist, Marquette lecturer; served as school principal, staff member at PWPN

Grace Mazza Urbanski is set to serve as full-time Assistant Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network-USA [Apostleship of Prayer] national office, beginning in the summer of 2025.

In her role as Assistant Director, she will serve as a fellow leader and thought partner with the U.S. National Director to develop, plan and implement vision, strategy and tactics to carry out the mission of the organization, and be one of the public faces of the PWPN-USA in terms of speaking, retreat leading, media appearances, writing, etc.

Grace has served as principal of Christ King Catholic School in Milwaukee and as teacher and department chair at Brookfield Academy in Wisconsin, and previously served as national director of children’s ministry with the Apostleship of Prayer-USA (now the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network-USA).  She has shared her insights on prayer with parents, teachers, and children as a regular contributor to Catechist magazine and keynote speaker and workshop designer for events throughout the United States.  She is a mother of five and a new grandma; she is the author of Pray with Me: Seven Simple ways to Pray with Your Children (Ave Maria Press, 2015). 

Grace and her husband, David, received the 2017 Archdiocese of Milwaukee Vatican II Award for their service to families. She also received an alumna of the year award from the Marquette University Denihy Chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu in 2018. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and Theology from Marquette University, where she was formerly a lecturer in the English department, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. She is a Phi Beta Kappa and a member of several other honors organizations. Urbanski is also a professional vocalist and voice teacher. She is active in parish life, where she has served on pastoral council and chaired the Catholic Formation Committee. 

Fr Joe Laramie SJ, PWPN national director stated, “I’ve known Grace throughout my five years in Milwaukee. With her sharp mind, warm heart, and broad experience, I’m thrilled to have her on the PWPN USA Team! She lives out the words of our mission– as an apostle, a woman of prayer, with a strong network of relationships in schools and parishes.”

Grace said, “I love prayer. Prayer is real work, with real consequences. Prayer embodies our relationship with God and prompts us to care for our communities. My heart longs to serve the Pope’s Prayer Network—again! I loved working with Fr. James Kubicki, SJ, in the Apostleship of Prayer from 2012-2016 and am eager to dive back into the national office of the Pope’s Prayer Network to explore new possibilities for prayer in the United States.”

The Pope’s Prayer Network is a 175-year-old spiritual mission uniting hearts to the Heart of Jesus in the heart of the Church; we promote a life of prayer for all people through devotion to the Sacred Heart and the monthly intentions of the Holy Father.

Contact: Fr Joe Laramie SJ, National Director: frlaramiesj@popesprayerusa.net 

Contact: Grace
Email: gracemazzaurbanski@gmail.com 
Insta: @gracemazzaurbanski
X: @GraceMazza
FB: @Grace Mazza Urbanski

Pope’s Prayer USA
1501 S Layton Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53215
popesprayerusa.net/ @popesprayerusa