The Catholic Times received four national awards in the newspaper division from the Catholic Media Association for its work during 2021, the organization announced Thursday, July 7 in Portland, Oregon, at the conclusion of its annual conference.
The Nov. 21 issue featuring Bishop Robert Brennan’s departure from Columbus to become the bishop in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York won second place in the Best Print Special Supplement on a Bishop’s Transition for all news publications. Contributors to the edition included Doug Bean, editor; Tim Puet, writer; Kimberly Colston, designer; Patty Bitler, contributing copy editor; and Ken Snow, photographer.
Also earning second place for Best Regular Column – Spiritual Life was Michele Williams, a regular contributor to the Times who is an inmate at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. Her writings offer readers a glimpse of life inside prison walls and how faith sustains her.
Taking third in Best Feature Writing for Non-Weekly Newspapers with 1-5 Full-Time Staff Members was a “Gift from God” written by Bean about a Columbus couple who gave birth to a baby with Trisomy 18, an often-fatal condition.
Honorable mention in the Best Photograph – Sacramental category was Snow’s “Consecration” shot of Bishop Brennan elevating the host during a Mass that was used on the cover of the bishop’s farewell edition.
The annual awards from the Catholic Media Association (formerly known as the Catholic Press Association) recognize the work of content producers in newspapers, social media, magazines, books and communications departments for dioceses, publications or organizations throughout North America.
Founded in 1911, the Catholic Media Association has more than 600 member organizations and reaches more than 26 million people.