A screen capture of The Pilot's website, TheBostonPilot.com, which received first place for best newspaper website at this year's Catholic Media Awards. Pilot screen capture
BRAINTREE -- The Pilot earned four Catholic Media Awards at this year's Catholic Media Conference, held from June 18 to 21 in Atlanta, Georgia.
The awards are sponsored by the Catholic Media Association, which annually honors the best in Catholic journalism. Each year, Catholic newspapers, websites, and magazines submit entries that are judged by a panel of independent experts. The Pilot, the oldest Catholic newspaper in the U.S., has been recognized each year for more than two decades.
Editor Antonio Enrique, Production Manager Nan Wilkins, and Managing Editor Gregory Tracy received the first-place award for best newspaper website for their work on TheBostonPilot.com.
"This website is so unique, organized, and easy to navigate," the judges wrote in their comments.
The website received praise for its navigation menu, text-to-speech feature, and rotator featuring recent and important news stories.
"Overall, this website is gorgeously designed with a variety of users in mind," the judges wrote.
Along with Advertising Manager Daniel Maguire, Wilkins also shared the first-place award for Best Media Kit.
"This publication truly goes the extra mile," the judges wrote, "offering a nuanced, in-depth, and layered experience with unexpected details."
"Overall, this publication feels refined and refined, reflecting superb work and continuous improvement over the years," the judges said.
Wilkins, Maguire, and Pilot Special Assistant Father Robert O'Grady received second place in the Best Print Special Supplement category for The Pilot's Catholic Schools Week issue. Published on Jan. 27, 2023, the supplement spotlighted the archdiocese's Catholic schools.
"Colorful," the judges wrote. "Nice use of ample photographs. Lots of faces and information."
Pilot staff writer Wes Cipolla also earned third place in the Best Feature Writing from a Weekly Newspaper category for his article "Faith and parish support helped Plymouth teen on road to recovery after brain aneurysm."
The article, published in the Nov. 17, 2023, edition, told the story of 18-year-old John Brennan, who suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm days before his 14th birthday. Before the aneurysm, Brennan was an altar server who had grown close to Father Joe MacCarthy, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Plymouth and, later, of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Cambridge. Brennan and his family said their faith and the support of both the Plymouth and Cambridge parishes sustained them through the ordeal.
The judges described Cipolla's article as "a well-told report" with "a gentle touch on a difficult topic," particularly with how Brennan himself was given a voice throughout the story.