CatholicTV Receives Gabriel Award As Pope Greets Participants of Media Convention

On June 3^rd, CatholicTV’s Director Fr. Robert Reed and General Manager Jay Fadden accepted the Gabriel Award for “Religious Television Station of the Year” by the Catholic Academy For Communications Arts Professionals (CACAP).

The award was given at the Catholic Media Convention in New Orleans. On June 2^nd, Catholic News Agency reported that the Pope, “Speaking in English to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the general audience, [he] told convention goers that to “touch hearts,” communications media must present witnesses of Christ’s grace to the people.”

The Holy Father also said on Wednesday that the theme of the Catholic Media Convention (Spreading the Good News- Byte by Byte) “highlights the extraordinary potential of new media to bring the message of Christ and the teaching of his Church to the attention of a wider public.”

The CACAP has sponsored the Gabriel Awards for over 40 years. This year’s awards include among others NBC Nightly News’ "Making a Difference" Series, and "Interrupted Lives: Catholic Sisters Under European Communism" by NewGroup Media.

Father Robert Reed said of the award: “It is a tremendous honor for us to be given this prestigious Gabriel Award, not for a specific program, but rather for our entire network. I hold in deep esteem our team members and on-air personalities as well as the entire CatholicTV family of viewers who have sustained the network for some 56 years. This Gabriel Award is a tribute to their dedication and commitment to America’s Catholic Television Network.”

Jay Fadden said, “This impressive award not only reflects the professional and hard work of our entire staff and the leadership of Cardinal Sean O’Malley, but is recognition of the faith of the many loyal viewers who have supported CatholicTV for over 55 years.”

The Gabriel Awards were originated by the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals in 1965. They were designed to honor works of broadcast excellence that have a positive and creative treatment of concerns to mankind.

"The single most important criterion of a Gabriel winning program is its ability to uplift and nourish the human spirit. Gabriel-worthy programs affirm the dignity of human beings, and recognize and uphold universally-recognized human values such as community, creativity, tolerance, justice, compassion and the dedication to excellence."

CACAP is an organization of professionals in the fields of Catholic print and audiovisual communications, as well as Catholic communications/public relations directors. More about CACAP and the Gabriel Awards is available at http://www.catholicacademy.org/

Holy Hot Boy to Appear on Catholic Talk Show Along With Rosary Singer

“Holy Hot Boy” Ansel Augustine and Catholic musician Susan Bailey will appear on the CatholicTV talk show “This is the Day” on Friday, March 20th. Susan recently released a CD and meditation guide which features her singing the Rosary while playing her acoustic guitar. Ansel is a hip youth minister with a Master’s Degree from Loyola University of New Orleans. Susan is the editor of Grapvine Magazine; it's mission is to support the community of Catholic artists throughout the US.
CatholicTV is a nationally-broadcasted television station headquartered near Boston.

According to Ansel Augustine, a “hot boy” is someone “who is about handling their business, and is full of courage and is known to have a big heart” among other things. Ansel tweaked the “hot boy” image a little to develop the “Holy Hot Boy”. Ansel claims to be a “Holy Hot Boy”, which means he considers himself an ambassador for Christ. Ansel claims that “he is willing to die for what he believes.” He is a coordinator for Black Youth & Young Adult Ministry in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and also works with the Campus Ministry at Xavier University of Louisiana.

He is also on the Faculty for the Institute for Black Catholic Studies. Ansel has also published various articles related to ministry and has done various workshops, conferences, and retreats around the country.



Also featured on the show, will be Susan Bailey. Susan is a singer/songwriter/recording artist, speaker, and publisher and editor of “GRAPEVINE”, the magazine devoted to Catholic performing artists. Susan has been actively sharing her ministry locally, nationally and internationally. She has made appearances at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, on EWTN and on the Catholic Family Network. Susan also serves on the Commission for Women of the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts.

Susan believes her mission is to encourage, inspire and uplift Catholics in their faith. She also feels called to minister to the dying and to those in mourning.

Ansel and Susan can be seen on Friday, March 20th live at 10:30AM (EST) on CatholicTV where available (rebroadcast at 8PM).

New Orleans Revival

Ansel Augustine is a great Youth Minister in New Orleans and a wonderful friend to CatholicTV. Ansel is organizing a revival at St. Peter Claver Church in NOLA and I'd like to ask you to keep this intention in your prayers.