Eileen Egan Journalism Award Winners Announced

Catholic Relief Services
Thursday, 30 May 2002

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) today announced the winners of the seventh annual Eileen Egan Journalism Awards. The awards, which were presented at the Catholic Press Association convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota, honor journalists writing for Catholic publications on issues related to the developing world. This year's winners are Josh Noem, The Florida Catholic (Venice edition); Chris Spoons, The Catholic New World; and Paul Jeffrey, National Catholic Reporter.

"The Eileen Egan Journalism Awards give us the opportunity to recognize the vital role that Catholic press journalists play in raising awareness of the developing world," said CRS' Executive Director, Ken Hackett. "These men and women help their readers to better recognize the poor overseas not as story characters but as their neighbors."

Josh Noem's three-part series, "Serving the Poor in Haiti," about a Florida group that provides aid for Haitian children, won for the circulation under 35,000 category. In the circulation 35,000 and over category, Chris Spoons' article "AIDS and the Lab that St. Sabina Built," which covered the relationship between a south Chicago parish and an AIDS clinic in Ghana, was chosen. Paul Jeffrey's "In Refugee Camps, Peace is an 'If'," a look at the lives of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and their uncertain future, took the national category prize. Award winners will travel this fall to Southeast Asia for a firsthand look at CRS' relief and development programs in the region.

Six finalists received honorable mentions: Ed Langolis, Catholic Sentinel; Susan De Matteo, Catholic East Texas; Monte Mace, The Leaven; Kate Blain, The Evangelist; Heidi Schlumpf, U.S. Catholic; and Judith Sudilovsky, Catholic News Service.

This year's panel of judges included Susan Kim, Disaster News Network; Sylvia Moreno, The Washington Post; Kevin Horrigan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Toby Lester, The Atlantic Monthly; Shelvia Dancy, News 14 Carolina; Mary Jordan, The Washington Post (Mexico Bureau); and Chet Czarniak, USA Today.

Eileen Egan was CRS' first professional layperson and overseas staff representative. A noted author and advocate for the poor, Egan was the author of several books, including For Whom There is No Room: Scenes from the Refugee World and Such a Vision of the Street, on the life of Mother Teresa. Ms. Egan passed away in October 2000 at the age of 88.

Catholic Relief Services is the official relief and development agency of the United States Catholic community. Founded in 1943, the agency provides assistance to people in 87 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Catholic Relief Services provides assistance on the basis of need, not race, creed or nationality.

For more information, or to contact Catholic Relief Services, see their website at: www.catholicrelief.org