Diocese of Tucson's journalist is off on her new adventure

Jennifer Miraval has served as the Media Administrator for the Diocese of Tucson for the past year. Working behind the scenes on articles, videos, and news, Jenn has shared countless stories with the thousands of Catholics in Southern Arizona. Now, we offer congratulations to Jenn as she gets married, and we bid a fond farewell as she moves to join her husband who is stationed in Hawaii.

Get to know the woman behind your Diocesan news:

Jennifer Miraval took her first class in media as a teen, learning public speaking and video editing. After graduating from Sahuarita High School, she attended Northern Arizona University where she earned her degree in journalism. Jenn began her career as a reporter at NAU’s news station. She learned how to tell a story visually - a skill she is still using today.

After college, Jenn worked at FOX 10 News in Phoenix as an associate producer. The newsroom was very stressful. “Though I worked in a highly secular environment,” she said, “I realized how powerful it was to simply be joyful, kind, and loving. My faith did not play a significant role in my career until I moved to Phoenix. That was when I began taking my faith seriously and strived to pursue it everywhere I went.” Jenn has accurately been described as a ray of sunshine!

Jenn remembers, “There was a point in my life where I lost sight of God. The world had filled my head with so much noise that it was difficult to recognize the Father’s voice, which also made it difficult to recognize who I was. It was not until He shook me awake that He got my attention, and I started to seek Him and know His voice more.”

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” - John 10:27

“God stripped me of everything so I could only rely on Him. Though I had the comforts of a home and a respectable job, I was very poor spiritually, which was necessary for me to surrender everything I had. I slowly learned how to trust Him and the movements of the Spirit. I am constantly learning what it means to trust. Taking a big leap of faith helped me to receive God’s plan for me with an open heart.”

Jenn had just consecrated herself to St. Joseph and surrendered her vocation to his intercession. “I told God that I wanted a man like St. Joseph: someone who was humble, God-fearing, courageous, and genuinely good.”

Several months later, Jenn received several unsolicited CatholicMatch emails. Her confusion grew to panic when she realized someone had made her an online account. Jenn uncovered a messy profile, with misinformation like hitchhiking as her favorite activity. “It made no sense! I was so confused and thought someone had stolen my identity. Two hours later, my dad peeked into the room and asked if I’d received anything from CatholicMatch. ‘It was you?!,’ I screamed. I was in disbelief!”

“The thought of online dating was hard for me to even imagine. I really was not convinced that anything could come from this site. I was looking for my St. Joseph and he was not there.”

Something brought Jenn back to CatholicMatch in December 2020. “A few days later, I got a message from Jack Rector. I immediately knew this was going to be different. This man was serious in the most respectful and kind way. I interrogated him and he interrogated me back, which I respected. He was not looking for just any girl, but he was in search of his wife. Someone specific.”

One short week later, Jack suggested they meet in person. An officer in the Army, Jack was visiting his family in Wisconsin for his limited Christmas break. Jenn did not expect this man to follow through, but alas, Jack drove for two days from border to border so he could meet Jenn. “We met on New Year's Day 2021, and the moment that we looked at each other, we knew we were meant to be. Five short months later, we got engaged.”



In the meantime, Jenn began working for the Diocese of Tucson as the media administrator. “This has been a dream come true. I was limited in the newsroom, but now I am free to be as creative as I can and to use all my skills to share Catholic stories. It is good to get out of your own story and see what you can learn from someone else’s story.”

In her free time, Jenn volunteers for San Martin de Porres Parish’s music and youth ministries. Jenn sings in the Spanish choir with her mother and sister. “Music ministry is a way to pray and worship with your body and soul. I try to sing with my heart.”

As the youth minister, Jenn guides teens and young adults to learn more about the Catholic Church and to grow deeper in their faith. “When I witness the Holy Spirit guiding us into meaningful conversations and deep critical thinking, my heart is on fire. It is such a gift to witness how God is working on these teens.”

“I’d like to say that my faith is the center of my whole existence, but it’s not always true. I strive every day to bring my faith into everything I do. I feel spoiled sometimes by God’s love for me. He is such a generous Father, and that’s what motivates me to live for Him. I am nothing without Him, and I do not want to be anything but for Him.”

Jenn contributes so much to her local community, and to the whole Diocese of Tucson. God has certainly worked through her joy, passion, and creativity to draw others closer to Christ.

We invite you to pray for Jenn as she moves on to a new adventure. Jenn and Jack are getting married later in April 2022! “I will be moving away from Arizona for the first time to be stationed in Hawaii alongside my husband,” said Jenn. “Who knows what God plans for us and where He will lead us to, but we truly feel blessed that we’ll be doing it together.”

Congratulations, Jenn and Jack!


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By Carissa Krautscheid, originally published in Catalina Foothills Catholic magazine