An article by Rowena Orejana featuring the Vatican astronomer's views on Jesus, Aliens and Faith won a gold award for Best Theological Article from ARPA. Continue reading

NZ Catholic journalist Rowena Orejana won a bronze award in the best new writer category for a story about the difficulties facing rural parishes.

NZ Catholic also won a silver award in the best headline category and a bronze award in the best humorous item category, the latter for a cartoon by Steven Monson.

Tui Motu Interislands won a silver award in the best feature, multiple author category for an article on Sts John XXIII and John Paul II.

Bishop Peter Cullinane was one of the contributors to the Tui Motu article.

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The magazine was judged the Publication of the Year.

"It gives the team here a great sense of achievement to receive this award, amongst so many good publications", said Tui Motu Interislands editor, Fr. Kevin Toomey.

The judges said that Tui Motu Interislands:

• Was editorially excellent
• Was topically relevant
• Had engaging writing
• Made judicious use of imagery
• Draws you in
• Is example of 'less is more' when it comes to the editorial use of graphics and photography to serve the story

Earlier in the week four Tui Motu Interislands contributers picked up awards at the Australasian Catholic Press Association (ACPA) Awards:

Winners

• Cavan Wild: Best Mission Coverage, "The Gift of Vernon Douglas"

Highly Commended

• Robert Consedine: Best Column
• Kevin Toomey: Best Article on Catechesis, "Let's Talk"
• Mary Horn: Best Original Artwork, "Wise Women"

Michael Otto from NZ Catholic was highly commended for his story "Bishop tells activists to change name" at the ACPA Award presentation.

Source:

• Supplied
• Image: Tuimotu.org

The Australasian Religious Press Association (ARPA) will be begin on Friday and The Catholic Press Association (ACPA). Conference will follow, beginning on Tuesday.

Read Andrew Hamilton's "Credibility at stake for restrained religious media".

The conferences are held in a different Capital city each year. Last year Wellington, New Zealand was the host city

The ARPA conference will begin on Friday with a welcome lunch.

The keynote speakers are Fr Frank Brennan SJ who will speak on Human Rights and the Media and Doctor Margaret Simons whose topic is Philosophy and Ethics of the Media.

There will also be a session introducing delegates to the World Cafe Movement.

The dinner and awards will take place on Saturday evening.

The ACPA Conference Mass is to be celebrated by Archbishop Denis Hart and will be followed by the Annual Awards for Excellence.

Presenters at the ACPA Conference are Greg Morgan, CEO Fraynework, a former cameraman with BBC, CNN, who among many other events has covered Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and the 2004 South Asian tsunami, and Peter Casamento, a freelance photographer, who has worked on Catholic publications across Australia.

Source:

• Christian Today
• ARPA
• ACPA
• Image: ARPA

The Conference was full of practical helps in the art of providing ‘Christian media' including a major plenary by the University of South Australian School of Law and Commerce Faculty's Professor Rick Sarre on defamation.

These New Zealand publications received ARPA awards.

NZ Catholic (Peter Grace, ed.)
Gold award, best news item ("Quake-hit parishes rally")
War Cry (Christina Tyson, ed.)
Bronze award, best news item ("Team Effort")
Bronze award,best layout
Highly commended, best feature ("The Long March")
Highly commended (2), best editorials/opinion pieces
Highly commended, best front page
Touchstone (Paul Titus, ed.)
Silver award, best feature ("Prostitution Law reform - the consequences)
Bronze award, best humourous item (cartoon on editorial page)
LinkWELL (Mary Houston, ed.)
Silver award, Best editorial/opinion piece ("Growing Together")
Marist Messenger (Brian O'Connell, ed.)
Gold award, Best story on social justice ("With Joy-Filled Hearts")
New Zealand Baptist (D&F Pardon, eds. Maryanne Wardlaw, designer.)
Bronze award, best review of another medium (CD reviews)

The annual Gutenberg award, for overall excellence, went to an Australian magazine, The Lutheran, which also picked up a handful of individual awards.

Source

• Christain Today Australia
• Scuttlebutt
• Image: Scuttlebutt

The article was about the trial of the Waihopai Three, priest Peter Murnane, teacher Adrian Leason and farmer Sam Land who had broken in to the Waihopai spy base in 2008 and slashed one of two inflatable domes. They were found not guilty.

On 31 August this year The Wellington High Court has granted the Crown the right to seek US$1.2 million for the cost of replacing the dome.

Read Jim Consedine's Column which was originally published in the Marist Messenger in June 2010.

Fr Jim Consedine was ordained in 1969. He has been a member of the Catholic Worker in Christchurch for 20 years and writes on peace and justice issues.

Image: Marist Messenger