The Knights of Columbus and Columbia magazine, the Order’s official publication, received a number of honors during the Catholic Press Association’s (CPA) annual awards banquet, held June 24 at the Catholic Media Convention in Pittsburgh. Through this program, the CPA recognizes the accomplishments and contributions made by Catholic newspapers, magazines, newsletters and books.

The Catholic Press Awards received by the Columbia staff during the event were:

Best Cover/Four Color Magazine (First Place) for the January 2010 cover featuring an ultrasound image and the words “Building a Culture of Life.” The award citation read: “Compelling image and a cover blurb that encourages the reader to think about the fetus in a different way. Together they work to make a conventional layout and oft-repeated image new and provocative.”

Best Single Ad (First & Second place) for the “Knights of Columbus Insurance – Your Shield for Life” and the “A Shield for Your Loved Ones” ads. The first-place citation read: “The ad represents the best of modern design. A singular image with a simple slogan. It captures the attention of the reader without overwhelming them.” The second place citation said: “This ad not only has simplicity of design, but also captures the readers’ emotion; and the tagline marries the visual with the goal of the product.”

Best Personality Profile (Honorable Mention) for “Our Founder and Father” by Mother Agnes Mary Donovan of the Sisters of Life. Mother Agnes’ essay about Cardinal John O’Connor appeared in the June 2010 issue of Columbia.

Best Regular Column/Family Life (Second Place) for the “Fathers for Good” series. The award citation stated: “The writer has excellent points and some very strong arguments that relate his life to Catholic teachings. Interesting and thoughtful.”

Best Electronic Newsletter (Second Place) for “Military Knights in Action.”  The citation read: “This entry is not the most flashy, but shows that a sober, classy approach to layout, combined with solid, high quality content, always will be a winner.”

Alton Pelowski, Columbia’s managing editor, also shared a few words about the Knights of Columbus — including the 2010 Fraternal Survey results — with banquet attendees and introduced two short videos on the Order’s “Healing Haiti” initiative and the Knights’ involvement with World Youth Day 2011. He then presented the annual Father Michael J. McGivney Award for excellence in volunteer-themed journalism. The first place honor was awarded to Barbara J. Mangione for her article titled “Crystal’s Witness: A reluctant volunteer at a homeless shelter learns a lesson in faith and compassion,” which appeared in the March 2010 issue of St. Anthony Messenger magazine.