ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CCN) — Canadian Catholic media brought home more than 25 honors from the annual conference of the Catholic Media Association of the United States and Canada, June 16-19. The B.C. Catholic led the way with 15 awards, including second place for Best Diocesan Weekly.
The recognition comes as the Archdiocese of Vancouver prepares to publish the final weekly print edition of The B.C. Catholic June 29, ending nearly a century of weekly print publishing. The newspaper will transition over the summer to a weekly email digest and a redesigned monthly print edition in September.
Reporter Terry O’Neill’s reporting on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) accounted for many of The B.C. Catholic’s top honours, earning awards in investigative, analytical and in-depth reporting categories.
O’Neill’s “Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada” received first place in the Gerard E. Sherry Award category for analysis and background reporting, as well as first place for in-depth news and special reporting. Additional MAiD-related stories earned recognition for investigative reporting and coverage of a major public-policy issue.
Judges praised O’Neill’s reporting for revealing “irregularities” and conflicts of interest in British Columbia’s MAiD program through freedom-of-information requests, calling it an effort that demonstrates “persistence in the face of limited public disclosure about an important topic.”
Another judging panel described the work as a “thoughtful and detailed examination” that highlights “significant concerns and notable administrative shortcomings” while emphasizing the need for greater scrutiny.
The B.C. Catholic also received recognition for editorial writing, photography, design and special publications. In awarding second place for Best Diocesan Weekly, judges commended the newspaper’s mix of local, national and international coverage and said it produced “an array of relevant news and informational features” while avoiding an overreliance on wire-service content. Judges also praised the publication’s writing, photography and visual presentation.
Canadian Catholic News received its first award from the Catholic Media Association: third place in the national newspaper and wire service division for O’Neill’s story about a government-built MAiD unit set up beside Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital.
The Archdiocese of Vancouver’s communications office earned eight awards in the Communications Department Division, including first place for its Jubilee Year coverage and for Archbishop Richard Smith’s social media presence. The communications team also received awards for its fundraising campaign, annual report, video interviews and social media outreach.
Canadian communicators and publications were recognized in several other categories:
Jesuits of Canada received awards for interview writing and social justice communications. Writer Joanna Kozakiewicz, an alumna of CCN’s “Telling Truth in Charity: Introduction to Catholic Journalism” course, earned awards for her series “Voices From the Border” on migrant stories, as well as her work on anti-human-trafficking initiatives.
Catholic Missions in Canada received magazine awards for feature writing and personality profiles.
Torchia Communications with the Knights of Columbus earned first place for Best House Ad – Print for a Knights insurance advertisement, with judges praising its strong presentation and effective call to action.
Salt + Light Media competed for the Gabriel Awards, earning recognition in the Documentary Series category for its magazine-format television show “Behold.” The Gabriel Awards recognize outstanding in radio, film and television production.
Laura Ieraci, editor of ONE, the magazine of Catholic Near East Welfare Association, received second place in the English-language Editor of the Year category and earned magazine-writing honours. ONE was named Mission Magazine of the Year.
Ieraci, a CCN board director, also co-presented two workshops. The first was on CNEWA’s integrated communications, journalism and marketing efforts. The second was on collaborative journalism with Barb Fraze, a contributing editor to ONE magazine and an instructor in CCN’s Catholic journalism courses, including the upcoming summer seminar in Toronto in August.
A number of CCN alumnae attended the conference. Two had participated in CCN’s 2025 “God in the City” Summer Seminar and three took CCN’s online course, “Telling Truth in Charity: Introduction to Catholic Journalism” (ICJ). Anne Clark, communications manager for the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, co-presented a workshop on diocesan magazine publishing. Clark took the ICJ course in 2024.
CCN’s Paul Schratz led the Canadian Regional Roundtable, which gathered Canadian professionals at the conference to discuss innovative ideas and challenges regarding Church communications in Canada. Those present included key staff from CCN, Salt + Light Media, the Archdiocese of Toronto, Madonna House, the Diocese of Hamilton, Ontario, and Torchia Communications.
Both Schratz and Ieraci serve on the board of the Catholic Media Association.
The complete list of awards is available on the Catholic Media Association website.
Such exciting news! Congratulations!