Jesse Romero

Jesse Romero is an American Catholic lay evangelist, author and radio host. A retired Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, he left the department early and turned to full-time lay evangelisation; the National Catholic Register reported that Terry Barber of St. Joseph Communications heard his story and began recording his classes for national release (National Catholic Register). The Catholic News Herald of the Diocese of Charlotte described him as a bilingual lay evangelist, writer and radio host who speaks on apologetics, spiritual warfare and the culture wars, holding a master's degree in Catholic theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville, with the motto "Love God, save souls, slay error!" (Catholic News Herald).

Romero co-hosts The Terry and Jesse Show with Barber and hosts Jesus 911, both distributed as podcasts (Apple Podcasts; Apple Podcasts). The pair previously co-hosted Reasons for Faith Live on the EWTN Radio Network (Catholic Answers). In 2018 Catholic World Report reported that after their show was dropped by Relevant Radio, Barber launched the online network Virgin Most Powerful Radio as its new home (Catholic World Report).

His books include The Devil in the City of Angels: My Encounters with the Diabolical (TAN Books, 2019), which recounts what he describes as encounters with the demonic during his law-enforcement career (TAN Books), and Lord, Prepare My Hands for Battle, a compilation of prayers against the devil (AbeBooks).

Romero has publicly criticised some Church leaders. In an interview with the now-closed Church Militant, he said some bishops, though not all, were embarrassing the Church (Church Militant). In February 2025 the Complicit Clergy site published his criticism of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of San Diego, which he argued was not following Church teaching on immigration and which he tied to the diocese's leadership under Cardinal Robert McElroy (Complicit Clergy). An earlier profile reprinted by California Catholic Daily reported that he described the Chicano student movement MEChA as anti-white and racist (California Catholic Daily). See Traditionalist Catholic online culture.