Bishop announces retirement of Rayanne Bennett, head of Communications, The Monitor

Bishop David M. O'Connell announced Oct. 1, 2026, that Rayanne Bennett will retire from her roles with the Diocese of Trenton on Dec. 31, 2026. Bennett serves as the Executive Director of Communications and Media and the Associate Publisher of The Monitor.

Bennett has worked in Catholic communications for more than 36 years. She spent 15 years in the Diocese of Metuchen, where she worked as a staff writer for the Metuchen edition of The Monitor and served as the founding editor of The Catholic Spirit. She joined the Diocese of Trenton in 2005, working in public relations before leading the communications ministry.

During her 16 years serving the diocese, Bennett managed outreach through websites, social media, and secular media relations, while overseeing the Department of Multimedia Production. In 2019, she led the transition of The Monitor from a bi-weekly newspaper to a monthly magazine and website. O'Connell asked Bennett to serve in an advisory role for a period to assist with the transition.