Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., once again earned top-tier awards for excellence as a social-media content creator for the third consecutive year and as a podcaster during the Catholic Media Association (CMA) Conference from June 16 to 19 in Atlantic City, N.J. The Communications Office also won other awards for Photographer of the Year and for a quality pro-life video.
The CMA recognizes and celebrates excellence in journalism, communications, and other forms of media.
During the annual national conference, Bishop Sweeney and the Communications Office won third place for Best Social Media Account — Bishop for his Instagram social media account. The award-winning digital content was produced in collaboration with Bishop Sweeney and Cecile Pagliarulo, the diocese’s digital media specialist, who posts the bishop’s messages, creates video reels, and graphics. CMA has recognized the bishop’s account three years in a row with this latest win.
The CMA judges wrote, “The consistency of Bishop Sweeney’s communication with his flock is impressive. His pages have regular, personal, and pastoral posts, engaging the faithful well.”
The bishop’s account can be found on Instagram here.
Bishop Sweeney also won an honorable mention in the Best Podcast category for his long-running podcast, “Beyond the Beacon.” He shares the honor with Jai Agnish, diocesan communications director, and Pagliarulo. In 2024, the bishop won Best Podcast on Social Justice Issues (second place) and Podcaster of the Year (third place) for “Beyond the Beacon.” The podcast features local Church stories, faith reflections, and discussions on national and global Catholic events.
To watch “Beyond the Beacon,” visit the bishop’s YouTube channel.
In other accolades, Joe Gigli, the Communication Department’s photographer since 2001, placed third in the Photographer of the Year category. He has been a consistent recipient of CMA awards across various photographic categories over his 25 years with the diocese. He also provides video content for diocesan social media and other digital platforms.
This is the first year Gigli was nominated for the prestigious Photographer of the Year honor.
In their assessment of Gigli’s work, the CMA judges praised many of the photos submitted for the award.
“Each photograph is strong enough to stand on its own: the peaceful face of a sister in prayer, full of quiet devotion; the sun shining through stained glass, casting jeweled colors across the quiet church, and onto a priest at prayer, as if toughed by something divine; the organist, partially hidden, filling the space with music; and the unfiltered joy of a little boy celebrating,” the judges wrote.
The judges concluded, “The photographer skillfully stirs emotion and draws the viewer into these sacred moments with beauty, reverence, and authenticity.”
In addition, Pagliarulo and Gigli earned an honorable mention in the Best Video: Pro-Life Activities, Diocesan and National News Organizations category for a video of Bishop Sweeney’s monthly prayer vigil at Planned Parenthood in Morristown, N.J.
To enjoy a comprehensive coverage of the Paterson Diocese, visit BeaconNJ.org.
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Bishop Sweeney, Communications Office of the Diocese of Paterson awarded by Catholic Media Association #Catholic –
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Paterson Diocese, N.J., once again earned top-tier awards for excellence as a social-media content creator for the third consecutive year and as a podcaster during the Catholic Media Association (CMA) Conference from June 16 to 19 in Atlantic City, N.J. The Communications Office also won other awards for Photographer of the Year and for a quality pro-life video.
The CMA recognizes and celebrates excellence in journalism, communications, and other forms of media.
During the annual national conference, Bishop Sweeney and the Communications Office won third place for Best Social Media Account — Bishop for his Instagram social media account. The award-winning digital content was produced in collaboration with Bishop Sweeney and Cecile Pagliarulo, the diocese’s digital media specialist, who posts the bishop’s messages, creates video reels, and graphics. CMA has recognized the bishop’s account three years in a row with this latest win.
The CMA judges wrote, “The consistency of Bishop Sweeney’s communication with his flock is impressive. His pages have regular, personal, and pastoral posts, engaging the faithful well.”
The bishop’s account can be found on Instagram here.
Bishop Sweeney also won an honorable mention in the Best Podcast category for his long-running podcast, “Beyond the Beacon.” He shares the honor with Jai Agnish, diocesan communications director, and Pagliarulo. In 2024, the bishop won Best Podcast on Social Justice Issues (second place) and Podcaster of the Year (third place) for “Beyond the Beacon.” The podcast features local Church stories, faith reflections, and discussions on national and global Catholic events.
To watch “Beyond the Beacon,” visit the bishop’s YouTube channel.
In other accolades, Joe Gigli, the Communication Department’s photographer since 2001, placed third in the Photographer of the Year category. He has been a consistent recipient of CMA awards across various photographic categories over his 25 years with the diocese. He also provides video content for diocesan social media and other digital platforms.
This is the first year Gigli was nominated for the prestigious Photographer of the Year honor.
In their assessment of Gigli’s work, the CMA judges praised many of the photos submitted for the award.
“Each photograph is strong enough to stand on its own: the peaceful face of a sister in prayer, full of quiet devotion; the sun shining through stained glass, casting jeweled colors across the quiet church, and onto a priest at prayer, as if toughed by something divine; the organist, partially hidden, filling the space with music; and the unfiltered joy of a little boy celebrating,” the judges wrote.
The judges concluded, “The photographer skillfully stirs emotion and draws the viewer into these sacred moments with beauty, reverence, and authenticity.”
In addition, Pagliarulo and Gigli earned an honorable mention in the Best Video: Pro-Life Activities, Diocesan and National News Organizations category for a video of Bishop Sweeney’s monthly prayer vigil at Planned Parenthood in Morristown, N.J.
To enjoy a comprehensive coverage of the Paterson Diocese, visit BeaconNJ.org.