Our Sunday Visitor recognized for a ‘job well done’

2 mins read
newspaper award
Shutterstock

Gretchen CroweIt is always an honor for Our Sunday Visitor to be recognized by the Catholic Media Association for a job well done. But this year’s many recognitions — for content produced in 2020 — were all the sweeter because of the immense challenges brought on by the past year. These included, as if you needed reminding, the most contentious presidential election in modern history, a national reckoning over race, and a pandemic that claimed half-a-million American lives and turned the world on its axis.  

Through this extremely trying time, the Our Sunday Visitor staff, like many organizations, adapted to a new method of remote work, all while maintaining excellent quality and exceeding expectations in terms of quantity. When you needed us most, our reporting and insights were there for you, and I am proud of the dedication and depth of faith exemplified by this team. 

coverOur Sunday Visitor received recognition from the Catholic Media Association for its coverage of the pandemic, particularly as it relates to Catholic colleges and universities, and to clergy and religious. We told the story of how Catholic colleges across the country are rethinking ways to serve their students and come together amid the challenges of 2020, and how priests, deacons, and men and women religious continue to carry out their “yes” to serving the Body of Christ. Our Sunday Visitor Contributing Editor Brian Fraga won first place for his reporting on how Catholic schools were working to stay on mission during the pandemic. Lisa Hendey won another first-place award for her in-depth look at home schooling — something that became an unexpected reality for many families. And the Our Sunday Visitor Editorial Board was recognized specifically for its powerful editorial at the start of the pandemic, “A response to ‘We are an Easter people.'”

Our Sunday Visitor also was recognized, via second-place honors, for our coverage of the 2020 election and for our coverage of racial inequalities. The Our Sunday Visitor Editorial Board was again recognized for its standing up for Gloria Purvis last summer when EWTN’s largest affiliate, Guadalupe Radio Network, stopped broadcasting her then-morning show because of its conversation on race, and for offering much-needed perspective for Catholics before going into the most contentious election in modern history. It wrote: “So don’t despair. Don’t lose heart. Don’t let the headlines, the pundits, the tweets and the polls go to your head. Don’t give into frustration, to nasty rhetoric, to anger or violence. Because the truth is that elections come, and elections go. Political leaders come, and political leaders go. Jesus Christ is eternal. May his peace be with you.” 

In other major news of 2020, Michael R. Heinlein received a second-place award for best analysis for his reporting on the release of the report analyzing the rise and fall of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. “This so-called ‘McCarrick report,'” he wrote, “is the first document publicly released by the Church that goes to such lengths to investigate the actions of one individual within Church hierarchy, and, as such, it has the potential to serve as a model for future ecclesiastical transparency — if we can discern where it both succeeds and fails.”

A final first-place award was credited to Casey McCorry for her recounting of how a former gang chief found faith. And, on a lighter note, designer Chelsea Alt received first-place honors for her layout and design of “Your Guide to Catholic Podcasts.” 

Overall, Our Sunday Visitors received third place for best national newspaper, following the National Catholic Reporter and the Catholic Health Association’s Health Progress Report. None of our work would be possible without the support of you — our valued readers. Thank you for being our partners and supporters as we work to serve the Church. 

Gretchen R. Crowe is editorial director for periodicals at OSV. Follow her on Twitter @GretchenOSV

Gretchen R. Crowe

Gretchen R. Crowe is the editor-in-chief of OSV News.