Exponent’s columnist, editor win awards

Catholic Press Association recognizes the Rev. James Walker and Lou Jacquet.

staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — The Catholic Exponent, newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, received three national awards at the recent Catholic Press Association convention in Anaheim, Calif.

The Rev. James Walker received a first-place award in the Scripture column category for his “The Word” columns in the Exponent. Father Walker, a Youngstown diocesan priest since 1977, has written two original scriptural reflection columns per issue since November 2000. He is pastor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and Christ Our King churches in Warren and chaplain at Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital.

Lou Jacquet, Exponent editor and general manager, received a first-place award in the Family Life category for his “Everyday Faith” columns.

Both awards were for competition against all columnists in the category across the country, no matter what the newspaper circulation.

Jacquet also received a third place in the “Best Editorial on a Local Issue” in the 17,001-40,000 circulation category for his editorial, “Catholics Can’t Turn Down the Volume in Pro-Life Efforts.”

Father Walker’s award was for his columns titled “No Other Woman in Scripture as Loyal as Mary Magdalen,” “All of Us Need to Take Out the Garbage Now and Then” and “With Our Lives Beleaguered, We Need God’s Message in our Hearts.”

The judges praised Father Walker for his efforts and style. “In each of his columns,” they wrote, “Father Walker achieves the right balance of teaching Scripture, personal reflection and critique of the Church. His choice of anecdotes and descriptive writing style keeps readers interested. And his willingness to critique Church practices — done with the level of respect that engages Catholic readers without insulting them — is refreshing.”

Jacquet’s winning “Everyday Faith” columns were titled “As Year Draws to a Close, A Reflection on Unintended Lessons;” “Nostalgia Cannot Solve World’s Problems, But It Has Its Place;” and “As Couples Change Over Time, Marriages That Grow Endure.”

The judges wrote: “This is a column that lives up to its [“Everyday Faith”] billing. With simple prose and stories drawn from everyday life, Jacquet invites readers into his world, and then gently guides them to see the bigger picture about how he lives his faith in the role of husband, brother-in-law and writer. The writing style is simple, spare and effective. Jacquet doesn’t try to hit readers over the head when he wants to make a point, but his genuineness and human spirit come through. Good use of anecdotes, while avoiding sentimentality and preachiness.”

Jacquet, a Cleveland native and member of St. Brendan Church, has been a Catholic Exponent staffer since 1991 and editor since 1996. He assumed the additional role of general manager in 1997. He has worked in the Catholic press since 1977, beginning at the Exponent for one year, and has been writing his “Everyday Faith” columns since 1980. He has served as editor of diocesan newspapers in Indiana and Delaware and Our Sunday Visitor, a national Catholic newspaper.