ST. LOUIS—Catholic media in the Rockford Diocese took home several awards from the annual Catholic Media Conference, here.
Among honors from the Catholic Press Association was a first place for best coverage of a routine, sacramental event. The award for “Be Reconciled Again Draws People to Confession,” went to the reporting team of Amanda Hudson, The Observer news editor; Margarita Mendoza, El Observador editor; and correspondents Tony Carton and Pat Szpekowski.
Bishop David Malloy received third place for best regular column by a bishop or archbishop. It is the second time he has been honored for his columns in the four years he has headed the Rockford Diocese.
Sharon Boehlefeld received an honorable mention in the best promotional house ad category for “Read it Your Favorite Way ... .”
In the book awards category, The Observer staff took an honorable mention for the Rockford Diocese Official Directory.
“Despite, or maybe because of, the continuing changes in the newspaper industry, competition in the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada remains tough,” said Penny Wiegert, communications director for the Rockford Diocese and editor of The Observer.
“These honors demonstrate how hard our staff works to provide quality Catholic journalism for the people of the Rockford Diocese.”
Wiegert, staff members and one correspondent who attended the conference June 1-3 took advantage of a variety of workshops and panels to learn about best practices in the media and in diocesan communications.
“We all learned things we can apply immediately to our work here at The Observer and in the diocese,” she said.
The conference included the CPA and the Catholic Academy for Communications Professionals. Wiegert is liason from the CPA to the academy.
St. Charles filmmakers, Eric Groth and T.J. Berden of Outside da Box, were honored by the Catholic Academy.
They received the Gabriel Award for best family film for their full-length feature “Full of Grace,” a film about the Blessed Virgin Mother.
Outside da Box also produces videos for Catholic teens and youth ministry.