Members of the media attend Mass at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church June 16, 2026, during the Catholic Media Conference in Atlantic City, N.J. OSV NEWS PHOTO/BOB ROLLER
Diocesan communications office honored with 2026 Catholic Media Association awards
BY WKC STAFF
The staff of the Diocese of Owensboro’s Office of Communications and The Western Kentucky Catholic were recently honored with a first-place 2026 Catholic Media Award and an honorable mention.
At the Catholic Media Association awards reception on June 19, 2026, which was held at the conclusion of the 2026 Catholic Media Conference in Atlantic City, the Owensboro team was given first place for Best Initiative or Campaign – Hot Topic: The Jubilee Year, with their “Jubilee of Hope in the Diocese of Owensboro” initiative.
The judges noted, “This is engaging, well-organized, easily comprehensible, thorough information and robustly catechetical. It’s very useful for pilgrims. Great job!”
A passport, prayer cards, and stamps designed by the Diocese of Owensboro’s Office of Communications are shown. The materials were part of the Jubilee of Hope initiative that won first place for Best Initiative or Campaign – Hot Topic: The Jubilee Year. ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD | WKC
The initiative featured materials designed by the communications team, such as an educational poster, “passports” for pilgrims visiting the diocese’s six designated Jubilee Year pilgrimage sites to have stamped, and a webpage to provide a central space for all things Jubilee of Hope.
The staff also received an honorable mention in the Best Annual Report category for the Diocese of Owensboro’s 2024-2025 annual report, which was produced by The Western Kentucky Catholic.
The Office of Communications is made up of Rachel Hall, communications director; Elizabeth Wong Barnstead, editor of The Western Kentucky Catholic and coordinator of diocesan publications; and Riley Greif, digital media specialist.
The Catholic Media Conference is presented by the Catholic Media Association and features professional development opportunities, networking, inspiration, and spiritual support for Catholic media professionals working in dioceses and organizations in the United States and Canada. Next year’s conference will be held in Oklahoma City in July 2027. To learn more, visit https://www.catholicmediaassociation.org.
