Holy Cross religious and staff from the United States Province won a total of four awards at the 2013 Catholic Press Awards given at the Catholic Media Conference in Denver, Colo., on June 21 by the Catholic Press Association.
The Catholic Press Association is made up of Catholic diocesan newspaper journalists and Catholic media specialists working for dioceses or religious orders. Founded in 1911, CPA has more than 600 member organizations and reaches more than 26 million people in the United States and Canada.
The Office of Vocations won or received honorable mention in all three categories entered:
- Best Online Blog – Group or Association: Second place – “Holy Cross Vocations Blog,” Rev. James Gallagher, C.S.C., and Rev. Andrew Gawrych, C.S.C. The judges commented that the Holy Cross vocations blog was a “great cross section of interesting and informative articles.”
- Best Essay (religious order magazines): “The Blessings of Celibacy” – Honorable Mention, for an article written for the Winter 2012 CHOICES by Rev. Thomas Looney, C.S.C.; editors were Fr. Gallagher , Fr. Gawrych and Lucha Ramey. “This essay connects with the reader and reveals the humanity and sacrifice (without becoming self-pitying) behind a lifetime of religious service,” the judges said.
- Best Electronic Newsletter: Honorable Mention, “Duc in Altum,” by Fr. Gallagher and Fr. Gawrych. “Clean template like layout, attractive palette,” the judge said.
In addition, members of the U.S. Province Development and Communications staffs won a second-place, general excellence award for magazines and newsletters, in the religious order category, for the magazine Pillars (Winter 2012 issue). James Kramer is Associate Development Director; Lucha Ramey is Director of Communications; and Stephanie Gattman is Communications Specialist. The CPA judges commented: “Well edited in-depth articles provide insight into the dynamics of the Holy Cross Province of the United States. From first person reflections on culture and poverty through the history of Ave Marie Press to a history of the Holy Cross brothers, the magazine paints a broad picture of the order.”
Ave Maria Press, a U.S. Province apostolate and a major Catholic book publisher in the U.S., won first place in the first-time author category for “The Infertility Companion for Catholics” by Angelique Ruhi-Lopez and Carmen Santamaria.
Another Ave Maria Press author Lisa Hendey, who also founded CatholicMom.com, was named among the first Egan Journalism Fellowships. The announcement came on the first day of the 2013 Catholic Media Conference. Hendey is the bestselling author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, and O Radiant Dawn, which were all published by Ave Maria Press.
The fellowship recognizes journalists who have demonstrated excellence in their reporting for Catholic media in the United States. Hendey and the three other fellows will travel with CRS to Rwanda in the fall to witness the work of CRS and the Catholic Church on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide.
