VANCOUVER, B.C. — The B.C. Catholic has picked up eight awards from the Canadian Christian Communicators Association (CCCA), including first place for general excellence among Canadian Christian newspapers.
The awards were announced May 23 in an online ceremony. The annual event recognizes reporting, photography, and design from Christian media across Canada.
The general excellence in newspapers honour went to The B.C. Catholic for its June 10, Nov. 25, and Dec. 9, 2024, issues, recognizing the work of editor Paul Schratz, reporting by Nicholas Elbers, and design by Inca Siojo-Das and Kelly Hady.
The June 10 issue also won first place for best front page with a sobering Page 1 photo of a crowd of 18,000 fans at a Vancouver Canucks game. Titled “18,000,” the cover illustrated the estimated number of Canadians expected to die from “medical assistance in dying” (MAiD) in 2025.
In the photo essay category, The B.C. Catholic earned first place for Nicholas Elbers’ visual feature “The Art of Pysanky,” which tied the Ukrainian Easter egg tradition to themes of suffering and resurrection.
The B.C. Catholic also took second place in the news story category for “MAID and the Catholic Hospital” by Terry O’Neill, who looked at the province’s decision to open a euthanasia facility on the grounds of St. Paul’s Hospital.
The newspaper won second place in the best photo category for a shot of Little Flower Academy grads tossing their hats. The photo by Vancouver’s Wendy D. Photography appeared on the front page of the 2024 graduation edition.
Elbers also took third place in the feature writing category for “Could AI Counselling be a Solution to Online Porn?”, which profiled a Vancouver parishioner who created a chatbot to help people break porn addiction.
Schratz picked up third place in editorial writing for “Fanning Flames with Falsehood,” criticizing media framing of the 2021–2022 Canadian church burnings.
The B.C. Catholic and the Archdiocese of Vancouver communications team were recognized with a third-place award for general excellence in the institutional publication category for the Archdiocese of Vancouver Annual Report 2024, designed by Inca Siojo-Das and Kelly Hady.
Editor Paul Schratz said the CCCA’s recognition brings to mind Bishop Robert Barron’s observation that the path to God is often through the good, the true, and the beautiful.
“It’s always an honour to be recognized by our peers,” said Schratz, “but this year’s work shows the value of Catholic journalism and telling Catholic stories, even when it’s not easy.”Editor Paul Schratz said the CCCA’s recognition brings to mind Bishop Robert Barron’s observation that the path to God is often through the good, the true, and the beautiful.
“It’s always an honour to be recognized by our peers,” said Schratz, “but this year’s work shows the value of Catholic journalism and telling Catholic stories, even when it’s not easy.”
Striving to report truthfully can be uncomfortable, he said, especially when it comes to controversial topics like church burnings, the MAiD crisis, and online pornography. “But truthful journalism and quality design reveal something beautiful and important of the world around us. Responsible and engaging storytelling still matters, and we’re grateful to be a part of it.”
