About 300 Catholic journalists—writers, editors, bloggers,
TV and film folks, communications directors, et al.—gathered in Charlotte,
N.C., June 18-20, for the Catholic Media Conference. CMC is the annual
convention of the Catholic Press Association of the U.S. and Canada and of the
Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals. Participants came from
dioceses, religious orders, and organizations such as the Knights of Columbus,
the Catholic Near Eastern Welfare Association, Propagation of the Faith, Catholic
Relief Services, tour companies, and printers from Alaska to Florida, from San
Diego to New England, and from Canada.
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| The Charlotte skyline from my hotel window |
There were also several foreign participants, such as a rep
from the German Episcopal Conference, and most notably Archbishop Claudio
Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, who
always either attends or sends his deputy.
Keynote addresses
Major addresses were given at dinners by Archbishop Joseph
E. Kurtz of Louisville, president of the USCCB; Heather King, well known writer
and blogger; and Helen Alvaré, law professor at George Mason University and
formerly the USCCB’s spokesman on life issues. All three speeches were very
well received. In addition, Abp. Celli spoke at one of the workshops.
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| Abp. Kurtz of Louisville |
Abp. Kurtz reminded the Catholic communicators that they
share in the Church’s mission of evangelization, which sometimes includes
speaking hard truths, but always with love, for which he thanked the
journalists. See http://www.archlou.org/2014/06/18/catholic-press-and-the-new-evangelization/;
and http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1402542.htm
Citing Pope Francis’s concerns, Abp. Celli said that the
Church’s biggest challenge today is to present her maternal face. Catholic
media, he said, are part of that presentation by how they present the Church’s
teachings and activities; Catholic communicators “share the Gospel message
through our personal and professional lives.” Communications networks, he said,
are constructed of people, not wires. See http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1402576.htm
Ms. King charmed her audience by speaking directly from her
heart as a woman who’s been deeply wounded in life and is finding healing
because she’s found Christ. “How can you live in this world with some kind of
integrity?” she asked; then answered, “It’s all in the Gospels.” Christ on the
cross is the ultimate expression of the human condition. The Catholic Church,
she said, is the “one place that has truly welcomed me and loved me and allowed
me to flower as a human being and as a woman.” See http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1402596.htm
Ms. Alvaré addressed the mainstream media and our secular
culture’s presentation of what women are concerned about, contrasting that with
the teachings of the Church. See http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1402625.htm.
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| Helen Alvare |
Eucharistic Liturgy
Bishop Peter J. Jugis of Charlotte (http://www.catholicnewsherald.com/component/content/article/42-news/rokstories/5739-bishop-jugis-preaches-seek-first-the-love-of-god),
Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone of Charleston (http://www.catholicnewsherald.com/component/content/article/53-news/roknewspager-local/5739-bishop-jugis-preaches-seek-first-the-love-of-god?showall=&start=3),
and Abp. Celli presided at the CMC liturgies at Charlotte’s St. Patrick’s
Cathedral and St. Peter’s Church. All gave much appreciated homilies. The
various priests attending, as many as eight on Thursday, concelebrated,
including such luminaries as Msgr. Owen Campion of Our Sunday Visitor and Fr.
Tom Rosica of Salt + Light.
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| Abp. Celli with your humble blogger before Mass on June 20 |
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| Jim Lackey, 2014 winner of the "Franny" |
Fr. Mike Mendl represented the Salesians in general and Salesian Bulletin U.S.A. in particular
at CMC. He took in two or three workshops a day on Thursday and Friday of the
couple of dozen on the agenda.
One workshop by Fr. Matt Malone, editor of America, was about crafting an editorial
approach suited to our age both ecclesially and politically. He maintains that
Catholic media have to evangelize, be prophetic, and build communion. What we
communicate is inseparable from how we communicate it: the Truth we communicate is Love.
Chris Gunty, editor of Baltimore’s Catholic Review, led a workshop on a flexible approach to the
changing media landscape. It’s critical that our publications use multiple
platforms (e.g., print, Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and blogs) to
reach multiple audiences (differing ages, genders, regions, ethnic backgrounds,
etc.). He defined the core Catholic message as moving people toward Christ by
“informing, teaching, inspiring, and engaging them through all forms of media.”
What one does must always be tested, evaluated, and adapted to circumstances.
Another workshop, offered by law professor Michael
Scaperlanda, aimed to educate the journalists about current trends in law and
religious freedom issues.
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| CRS panelists: Ron Lajoie, Kerry Weber, John Feister, J.D. Long, and moderator Kim Pozniak |
The last workshop was given by two reporters from
Charlotte’s Catholic News Herald on
how to use Tumblr with one’s reporting: a platform with many advantages, easily
customized and integrated with other platforms, and “fantastic” for multiple
contributors.
In addition, early on Thursday morning there was a CPA
business meeting, and on Friday afternoon about a dozen journalists from the
Eastern Region met for a roundtable discussion of a few matters, including
evaluating CMC 2014.
On Friday afternoon, Catholic News Service screened a new
documentary called Voices of Vatican II
in which ten or so surviving participants (both bishops and periti, including
Pope Benedict) describe their experience at the council in interviews. Slightly
less than an hour long, it’s excellently done and will be available for
purchase by the end of the year (www.usccbpublishing.org).
Highly recommended!
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| Professor Michael Scaperlanda speaks about the current situation of religious liberty in the U.S. |
At the CPA closing dinner on Friday, June 20, awards for the
last year’s outstanding publications were announced: newspapers, magazines, Web
pages, and books. The hundreds of printed announcements take 36 pages of the
CPA’s tabloid, The Catholic Journalist.
Our two provinces are proud to say that the Salesian Bulletin U.S.A. won three
awards (not too bad out of just five entries). These included
-- 2d place for best feature article in a religious order
magazine, “Salesians Educating and Evangelizing: Salesian Ministry in Various
U.S. Contexts,” by J.C. Montenegro, Sr. Loretta DeDomenicis, FMA, Sr. Juanita
Chavez, FMA, and Fr. Jim Heuser, SDB, SB
Spring 2013. The judges noted: “The focus on youth serving youth makes this
submission have a unique angle. The writing is smooth and fluid.”
-- 3d place for best essay in a religious order magazine,
“Just Don’t Get Caught,” by Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB, SB Spring 2013: “An important modern issue, cheating, is wrestled
with here, with clarity and thoughtfulness. Intelligently written and
conceived.”
--Honorable mention for best essay in a religious order
magazine. “Holiness in Don Bosco’s Style: Occupational Hazard,” by Paula
Rondon-Burgos and the ANS staff, SB
Late Winter 2013: “An inspiring examination of a level of busy-ness many
readers can relate to, with pragmatic insights. Ms. Rondon-Burgos’s smile is as
brilliant as her subject’s!”
(Thanks to Julie Asher of Catholic News Service for some of
the material on the major speeches.)
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