The Catholic Sun took six awards in the Newspaper Division of the 2023 Catholic Press Awards announced June 9 in The Catholic Journalist online publication.
The awards are presented by the Catholic Media Association, the largest association of Catholic media professionals in North America. Ana Rodriguez-Soto, chair of the Awards Committee, says in The Catholic Journalist, “Catholic journalists focus on people — all God’s people — and how God’s presence in the world is made visible through them and with them and in the outstretched hands of those who call themselves Catholic and Christian.”
Competing against association newspapers of any size, the Sun won a Best Reporting of Social Justice Issues – Care for God’s Creation Honorable Mention for the “Living Laudato Si’” series by diocesan Care for our Common Home Task Force writers Doug Anderson, MaryAnne Barrington, Katy Benson, Elizabeth Fleury, Edward Judge and Marijane Reilly. For example, at Thanksgiving time Judge writes, “As children of God and heirs of God’s creation, our thankfulness really should not be just a day but a whole way of life that we might call ‘Thanks living’ — a mindset of gratitude that infuses all we do throughout the year.”
Sun associate editor Tom Maguire totaled five awards in four categories. He garnered the following awards competing against association newspapers of any size:
• Best Sports Journalism — Sports News, Second Place: “Fired-up coach craves those Friday night lights.” The judges commented, “Nice profile of new coach.” In Maguire’s story, Bishop Ludden Head Football Coach Jim Ryan says football is “probably the only sport where you practice more than you play. It’s a special game. So much about athletics teaches you about life in general,” such as camaraderie, hard work and dedication.
• Same sports category, Honorable Mention for “When CBA’s Cariseo coaches, ‘they know where they stand.’” In the story, Head Varsity Girls Basketball Coach Mike Cariseo says the players on his team “know what I think of them. As God’s people, as people. The letters I get from moms and dads after the season that talk about, My daughter now has more confidence in herself, not on the basketball court, off the court, that’s why I do this.” This same story recently took a second place from the Syracuse Press Club for Print Non-Daily or Special Interest Sports Story.
• Best Story and Photo Package — By an Individual, Honorable Mention for “Father Keeffe’s legacy: all for the refugees.” Father Anthony Keeffe bequeathed his family home to All Saints Parish in Syracuse to support the refugee community from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Also, a couple “felt compelled to do something” and donated $50,000 to fix up the house. Justin Ndayambaje moved into the house with his family. He tells the Sun: “The biggest part is the way I got help here so that I can try to help others.”
• Best Reporting on a Special Age-Group — Senior Citizens, Honorable Mention for “Elder years? Let go of busyness, walk a mile on the beach.” At a Spirituality of Aging presentation at the Spiritual Renewal Center in Syracuse, Father John F. Rose says, “What’s the legacy we’re called to leave: compassion, forgiveness, gratitude.” Also, attendee Michele Ryan tells the story of a dream night she spent at Southwick Beach State Park. “I was all alone,” she says. “But I felt the Lord’s presence so close to me. … That’s what being retired is: that drawing closer, closer and closer to God, especially in moments of silence.”
Maguire also took a Best Personality Profile — Non-Weekly Honorable Mention Catholic Press Award for “Fun in the Sun! Here come the ’toons!” New Sun Cartoonist Deacon Dan Reynolds is asked what Bible notables would say if they saw his cartoons about them. “The cartoon ideas come from the Holy Spirit,” he says, “so I kind of think of it as my having a ghost writer, the Holy Ghost writer.”
