St. Louis, Mo. — At the annual Catholic Media Conference in St. Louis, Mo., on June 3, recipients of this year's Catholic Press Association Awards for the United States and Canada were announced. Faith Saginaw magazine received three awards including First Place for best interview, Second Place for best personality profile and First Place for best title and lead-in.
Director of Communications and Faith Saginaw Editor, Erin Looby Carlson was awarded First Place for the story, "Two Sacred Hearts: Iraqi Woman Gives Voice to those Persecuted in Middle East." The article shares the story of Balsam Barbat, who left Iraq a decade ago and dreamed of returning to her church with her children. In 2014, she received a call from her aunt that ISIS had taken over their town. They took over their church and removed the cross, and were living in Balsam's childhood home.
The Catholic Press Association Awards Committee said, “This article combines high-quality coverage with impact writing in order to shed light on a timely topic in international affairs. Readers are sure to be inspired by this account.â€
Freelance writer, Beth McKenna was awarded Second Place for the story, "Mercy Lives Despite Loss." This article shares the story of Michele Kuligowski, a mother whose full-term baby, Kayleigh died in the womb on her due date, Thanksgiving Day. Doctors later determined Kayleigh's cause of death was a knot in her umbilical cord. The story is one of mercy, love and enduring faith.
The Catholic Press Association Awards Committee said, "Those first two paragraphs compel readers to continue into this sensitive and carefully crafted story conveying hope, faith and resolve of a family called on to endure a tragedy. And the powerful writing continues as we read (and see, thanks to great pictures) this family cradling a carefully dressed and loved child who went too soon from birth to casket."
Finally, Administrative Liaison to Bishop Cistone and Faith Saginaw advisor Mary Beth Curtiss and Beth McKenna were awarded First Place for best title and lead-in for the story, "Mercy Lives Despite Loss."
This is the fifth consecutive year Faith Saginaw has been recognized by the Catholic Press Association. Faith Saginaw magazine is a quarterly publication mailed to registered parishioners across the Diocese of Saginaw.