Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson, N.J. was named a podcaster of the year (third place) in his inaugural year as a podcast host and his Instagram was awarded the best Instagram account for a diocesan bishop by the Catholic Media Association (CMA) last week. The Communications Office of the Diocese of Paterson collected another two awards in the prestigious CMA awards competition, including Best Feature Photograph for long-time Beacon photographer Joe Gigli. The bishop won a third award: second place for “Best Podcast – Social Justice Issues” for three Beyond The Beacon episodes produced in 2023. Also named as a recipient of that award, was Jai Agnish, Communications director for the diocese and producer and co-host of the podcast.
“When a podcast wins two awards in its first year that says something,” Agnish said after learning the news. “I’m proud of our Communications team and grateful to those on and off screen who assisted in launching Beyond The Beacon. They continue to contribute to its success, as do the many guests featured in the episodes. I’m also grateful to our ever-growing audience for taking an interest in the good news we share through this exciting new medium. How amazing is it that Bishop Kevin received three awards!? The bishop is a gift to our diocese, and his love and appreciation for his flock is seen weekly on the podcast.”
Beyond The Beacon was launched as an audio and video podcast in March of 2023 and features inspired interviews with everyday Catholics living out their faith. This new communications channel is also a way for Bishop Sweeney to discuss current events and topics relevant to the local Church in Paterson and the global Catholic Church. Bishop Sweeney also responds to questions and comments that arrive through email or diocesan social media channels. Watch Beyond The Beacon on the bishop’s YouTube channel or listen to episodes on the major podcast platforms.
“Bishop Sweeney and Mr. Agnish have a good rapport and that leads to informed, lively interviews,” CMA said in The Catholic Journalist June awards edition. “The episode about addiction and recovery was especially constructive and interesting. I loved the option of listening or watching the podcast with Bishop Sweeney. The social justice topics covered in this entry were important and the guests were engaging. I applaud Bishop Sweeney for his work.”
The winning episodes entered into the competition were the following:
- 24: School can be fun. Pastor and principal of Assumption School in Morristown
Video version | Audio version - 20: On a mission! We hear from one of our parishes about service in Appalachia
Video version | Audio version - 13: An interview with one of our new deacons and his wife
Video version | Audio version - 23: Father Ed Reading on addiction, recovery, and spirituality
Video version | Audio version - 7: An interview with two of our newest priests about vocations
Video version | Audio version - 30: 2 lay women discuss being ‘Mary’s Hands’ to those in need
Video version | Audio version - 22: Brilla School, the Cathedral, and the ‘Block of Mercy’ in downtown Paterson
Video version | Audio version - 26: Witness for life with Br. Joachim Joseph, C.F.R., and Solanyi Rodriguez
Video version | Audio version
Cecile Pagliarulo, the Digital Media Specialist for the Diocese of Paterson, assists with producing the podcast and sometimes co-hosts Beyond The Beacon with the bishop. As manager of social media for the diocese, she collaborates closely with Bishop Sweeney on his Instagram account. Pagliarulo creates video reels and graphics and posts messages via text from the bishop.
“Winning for best Instagram account is as much a reflection on Bishop Kevin as it is on Cecile,” Agnish said. “Cecile is extremely creative, with a gift for making engaging, original content that resonates deeply with our audience. This, coupled with the bishop’s wide-eyed appreciation for life and its people, makes the account something very special.”
The award also honors the hard work of the original social media team, launched in 2020 consisting of representatives from various offices of the diocese, under the leadership of Brian Honsberger, executive director of The Office of Evangelization for the diocese. Honsberger was also instrumental in launching the three podcasts of the Diocese of Paterson which include Beyond The Beacon, Coffee with Kupke, and The Paul Street Journal. Honsberger cohosts The Paul Street Journal where he discusses Catholic Economics with Freddy Garcia.
“It’s amazing that, in less than four years, we’re receiving this recognition for our social media efforts,” Bishop Sweeney said. “When I arrived as bishop of Paterson in the summer of 2020, I knew I needed help with social media. We soon formed a social media team and launched some new initiatives, including my Instagram account, in October 2020. I want to especially thank and congratulate our Communications Director (and Beyond The Beacon podcast cohost) Jai Agnish. I thank Jai and Brian Honsberger for launching our diocesan podcasts and YouTube Channel. I also want to thank and congratulate our Digital Media Specialist Cecile Pagliarulo, especially for our Instagram page! Thanks, and congratulations to Joe Gigli for his award-winning photography! It’s truly a team effort! Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever.”
Gigli, a long-time Beacon freelance photographer with previous CMA wins, won first place in the Best Photograph – Feature Photo category in the Newspaper Division for his photograph entitled “Censing Our Lady of the Cloud.” CMA featured the image on the cover of The Catholic Journalist June awards edition and shared it on social media. It is included with this article as the featured image.
“This is just a stunning photo,” wrote a CMA judge. “It’s like a work of art that should be framed. Strikingly beautiful – it seriously stood out, heads and shoulders, among the numerous entries in this category. This photo brings the experience to life in print. The perspective, colors, texture, focus, and scene are all simply exquisite. I love it. I feel blessed to have been able to see and judge this photo.”
The photograph appeared in the Jan. 12, 2023 edition of The Beacon and is available online here. Gigli created it as part of a set of images from a New Year’s Day Spanish-language Mass celebrated by Bishop Sweeney at St. Margaret of Scotland Church in Morristown. The Mass, which was attended by upwards of 800 people, started with a procession into St. Margaret’s for “La Virgen de las Nubes,” or “The Virgin of the Clouds,” a Catholic devotion celebrated by the parish’s Ecuadorian community. Bishop Sweeney is pictured censing the statue of the Blessed Mother.
“I am a blessed and fortunate person to be able to witness and document God’s beauty all around me daily,” Gigli said. “I am thankful that He guides me to the moments He needs photographed.”
The CMA recognizes and celebrates excellence in journalism, communications, and other forms of media.
