Message Staff Wins CPA Award For 'excellence In Catholic Journalism'

The Message staff has received an honorable mention award from the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada for the issue of Sept. 14, 2012. The award given is the 2013 Cardinal John P. Foley award for Excellence in Catholic Journalism.

The award-winning Message issue features a front page photo of both Bishop Charles C. Thompson and Bishop Emeritus Gerald A. Gettelfinger distributing the Eucharist to students during an all-school Mass celebrated at the Ford Center in downtown Evansville. The photo was taken by Peewee Vasquez.

The issue includes a story about Susan and Steve Barron, natives of Evansville who lived through Hurricane Isaac, a pastoral letter from Bishop Thompson on the Year of Faith, and a story about the all-school Mass which was attended by 7,000 individuals.

The Catholic Press Association notes that the issue’s “wonderful use of cover art puts the Message among the papers with ‘grabber’ front pages. Magazine in style, it is a well edited newspaper with a distinctly modern look.”

The award is presented to Rick Jillson, Mary Ann Hughes, Sheila Barclay, Diane Csukas, Steve Halbig and Pee Wee Vasquez.