By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Hawaii Catholic Herald’s reporter-photographer won three national Catholic Press Association writing awards at the Catholic Media Convention June 3 in St. Louis, Mo. A Herald columnist was also a winner, and the newspaper itself received top recognition for front page design and for its coverage of young adult Catholics.
Herald reporter Darlene J.M. Dela Cruz took both second place and an honorable mention in the category “best news writing originating with the paper on a local or regional event” in non-weekly diocesan newspapers with a circulation of 25,000 or less. The winning stories were “Layman. Soldier. Saint?” about Molokai’s Brother Joseph Dutton, and “Dedication of St. Michael: Let us enter rejoicing” about the blessing of Kailua-Kona’s new church, respectively.
Dela Cruz also received a second place in the category “best coverage of a routine, sacramental event” in a non-weekly diocesan newspaper, circulation 25,000 or less, for her story “Family-style evangelization” which profiled two families of catechumens.
Kathleen T. Choi received an honorable mention for her “In little ways” column in the “best regular spiritual life column” category. A parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Papaikou on the Big Island, she has written for the Hawaii Catholic Herald for 30 years and has won several Catholic Press Association awards.
The Hawaii Catholic Herald also won two first place awards in categories that included all Catholic newspapers in the U.S. and Canada — “best front page: tabloid” and “best reporting on special age group: young adults” for its “Manaolana” section.
