The Evangelist wins eight national journalism awards

The Evangelist has won eight national prizes for excellence in journalism in a competition against Catholic newspapers across the U.S.

The awards were handed out at the annual convention of the Catholic Press Association, which represents the country’s Catholic newspapers and magazines. The conference was held this month in Green Bay, Wis. The Evangelist is mailed to nearly 33,000 homes in the Albany Diocese each week. The CPA awards were given for 2017 articles, columns and photos.

The Evangelist won eight prizes:

•  First place for “best seasonal issue” was awarded to The Evangelist for its Christmas 2017 issue, highlighting the efforts of staff and freelancers. The paper’s Christmas issue has been honored for several years running, whether for photos or the issue as a whole.

Said the judges: “From the wonderfully appealing cover picture of a family depicting Mary, Joseph and Jesus, to the back page spotlighting children of all ages, this issue is full of Christmas cheer, along with reminders of the more ordinary: saving seats for Christmas visitors and Christmas Mass obligations. We are asked, ‘Where is Christmas,’ and then we are told: homeless shelters, inside children, Nativity scenes, in gifts sent to needy children around the world, regifting to benefit the poor who missed out on an initial gift-giving and even residents of Santa Claus, Ind., who each year answer thousands of letters.”

•  Editor Kate Blain was awarded second place for individual excellence as “editor of the year,” the fourth year in a row that she has been honored. Judges said she “was The Evangelist” in 2017 and called the paper “multi-honored” and “top-notch,” noting that it is operating in the black at a time when many other publications are not. Individual excellence award categories combine entries from Catholic newspapers, magazines, newsletters and Spanish-language publications throughout North America.

•  An article by Ms. Blain on the priestly ordination of Rev. John Cronin and accompanying photos of the ordination by freelance photographer Nate Whitchurch received second place for “best reporting on the celebration of a sacrament.” Judges called it a “nice job conveying the personality of the new priest.” Last year’s coverage of priesthood ordinations also won a Catholic Press Award.

•  Similarly, a special section on vocations by the staff and freelancers received second place for “best coverage of vocations,” an award the paper also received last year. This year’s award referred to a section that included photos of men and women in religious life around the Diocese and beyond, a reflection by a deacon and the monthly “Seminarian’s Diary” column.

The judges lauded it as “a complete package on vocations with so many small gifts inside, like the hospital chaplain frustrated that he can’t make pain disappear or the deacon’s appeal for dialogue that invites rather than discourages discussion. Much to admire in this wonderful approach to religious vocations.”

•  Ms. Blain was awarded second place for “best regular column” for her weekly Scripture column, “Good News for Kids,” which reflects on the Sunday Gospel for children. An “excellent job,” said the judges, with “well-written columns for children that convey important messages while capturing children’s interest.” The column has won such an award eight times before.

•  In the category of “best news writing on a national or international event,” an article by Ms. Blain, “Local faithful rejoice at beatification of Rev. Stanley Rother,” got an honorable mention. Father Rother attended seminary with several priests of the Albany Diocese; he became a missionary and was martyred in Guatemala in 1981.

•  The staff and freelancers were included in an honorable mention for “best coverage of religious liberty issues” for a section on the annual Fortnight for Freedom and related issues of religious freedom. The section covered a retreat on issues affecting lawyers, legislation in New York State, a eucharistic procession for religious liberty and more.

•  Under “best headline,” The Evangelist received an honorable mention for the tongue-in-cheek headline, “ORGAN STOPS: Music minister retires after four decades in Schenectady,” on an article about a farewell to George Bollock of St. Kateri Tekakwitha parish in Schenectady.

(Search for the award-winning stories and columns at www.evangelist.org.)