CHARLOTTE — The Diocese of Charlotte’s official newspaper, the Catholic News Herald, won several awards at the Catholic Media Association’s 2023 annual conference last week – including first place for “Best Non-weekly Newspaper.”
With members spanning the United States and Canada, the association’s top honor recognizes publications that showed consistent excellence in 2022. Judges evaluated newspapers’ selection of stories, originality, quality of writing and headlines, columns, editorials and letters to the editor, quality of art and graphics, and overall graphic design.
“We’re gratified to be recognized by our peers and even more grateful for all of the parishes, schools and ministries that make it possible for the Catholic News Herald to tell the stories of our diocese,” said Patricia Guilfoyle, who served as editor for more than a decade through October of 2022, when she was promoted to assistant communications director.
Replacing her as editor is Spencer Brown, who separately won third place in the association’s “Best Catholic Novel” category for his book “Hold Fast,” the tender story of how a father and son on the shores of Lake Superior find healing amid tragedy.
The Catholic News Herald also won (among all newspapers):
• First place for “Best Annual Report,” the diocese’s comprehensive accounting of financial performance and activities, a collaboration with the diocese’s CFO Matt Ferrante.
• Second place for “Best Use of Graphics” for the newspaper’s fall leaf spread, “Bask in the Beauty of God’s creation,” which offered the location and special details about the diocese’s churches along Western North Carolina’s leaf viewing routes.
• Third place for “Best Print Special Supplement,” for the newspaper’s annual Catholic funeral guide, “A Holy Death.”
The Catholic News Herald also won the top newspaper recognition in 2012, 2018 and 2019, and is part of a communications office devoted to the diocese’s mission of evangelization, to help spread the Kingdom of God.