Communicator, community builder, and consultant

I’m working at the intersection of faith, ecology, and social change to develop creative responses to the challenges of our time.

Hello, my name is Wesley Cocozello

Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and inspired by movements led by “the poor and vulnerable,” I aim to support organizations and communities of faith in developing creative responses to the pressing challenges of our time, recognizing that traditional methods alone are often no longer sufficient for meaningful change.

Raised in a multigenerational Catholic family, my passion for social transformation began early: my first “campaign” was in seventh grade when I circulated a petition at my Catholic elementary school urging Tropicana to remove cochineal beetles from its products. I earned my Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from The Catholic University of America and live in Washington, DC, where I’m a member of a housing cooperative and lead a spiritual companions community in collaboration with Catholic sisters.

My Work

Over the past decade, I’ve led communications, programmatic, and strategic initiatives for organizations like Catholic Climate Covenant, the Inter-religious Working Group on Extractive Industries, Faiths for Biodiversity, and the US Catholic Mission Association, among others. My professional contributions include:

  • leading the incorporation of Catholic Climate Covenant as an independent 501(c)(3), strengthening its governance and operational structure.

  • Co-creating an advocacy training program for young adults from low-income and immigrant communities from the US/MX border, equipping them with the tools to drive meaningful change.

  • Coordinating the communications for a national Catholic protest in July 2019 against the Trump administration’s immigration policies, particularly child detention, making #CatholicDayOfAction trend nationally on Twitter.

  • Leading the communications strategy for the first-ever faith pavilion at a UN environmental COP (CBD COP15 in Montreal), where the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted.

  • Supporting the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) during its 50th-anniversary campaign.

My Services

  • Faith and spirituality have long played a central role in movements for social transformation—from Quaker abolitionists to Catholic labor organizers to the Black Church’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement. Faith offers something irreplaceable in the struggle for justice: resources that activate the prophetic imagination, cultivate communities of courage, and nurture spiritual wellbeing in response to experiences of resistance, evil, and despair. These resources are underutilized, even as the need for them grows more urgent.

    In my consulting work, I am particularly inspired by historical models of popular education and participatory communities, like the Freedom Schools of the Civil Rights era and the ecclesial base communities of the Catholic tradition. I believe that true transformation happens when people are equipped not just with knowledge, but with immersive experiences that unite contemplative practice with prophetic action.

    I center the “preferential option for the poor and vulnerable” in every aspect of my work, ensuring that advocacy efforts remain grounded in the realities and leadership of those most impacted. By bridging communication and community—both rooted in the same Latin origin, communis, meaning "shared by many"—I help faith-based organizations forge networks of solidarity, deepen their impact, and develop sustainable models of change.

  • Partner with me to build communications that are spiritually grounded, strategically sharp, and designed to amplify your mission, deepen community participation, and sustain meaningful change.

    • Messaging Frameworks: Develop clear, values-driven messaging that reflects your community’s voice and equips you to communicate with consistency, integrity, and impact across platforms.

    • Digital Media Strategy: Design customized digital engagement plans that grow your reach, strengthen relationships, and mobilize your audience toward sustained action.

    • Campaign Communications: Craft compelling campaign narratives, messaging, and content that inspire action, influence public discourse, and advance faith-rooted justice efforts.

    • Content Creation: Produce mission-aligned digital content—from digital content to emails to resources—that connects faith and justice in ways that resonate with your audience and drive engagement.

    • Communications Trainings: Facilitate participatory trainings that build your team’s skills in digital storytelling, message development, and strategic advocacy—empowering leaders to communicate their stories with clarity and confidence.

  • Partner with me to strengthen the internal and relational foundations of your work—building collaborative structures, engaged communities, and sustainable strategies rooted in justice and shared leadership.

    • Network & Coalition Building: Design and support collaborative platforms that foster trust, break isolation, and amplify the collective voice of organizations and communities working for justice.

    • Community Engagement Strategy: Develop community-building plans that cultivate networks of informed, empowered, and engaged advocates committed to ongoing transformation.

    • Organizational Capacity Building: Strengthen your internal structures—governance, decision-making, communications, and culture—to align with your values and sustain your mission over time.

  • Partner with me to design spiritually grounded experiences that nurture resilience, deepen communal faith, and equip advocates with the leadership, advocacy, and movement-building skills needed to sustain transformative justice work.

    • Formation, Retreats, & Workshops: Design and lead transformative gatherings that unite spiritual practice, social analysis, and skill-building for advocacy and leadership.

    • Ritual, Liturgy & Theological Consulting: Create prayer services, rituals, and liturgical frameworks that reflect your community’s values and move people from contemplative practice to prophetic action.

    • Spiritual Companioning: Facilitate support circles, peer cohorts, and one-on-one guidance that nurture the spiritual wellbeing of those on the frontlines of justice work.

Previous Clients