Father Walker gets national award

Staff report

youngstown

The Rev. James Walker’s “The Word” Scripture reflection columns in the Catholic Exponent were honored with a second-place award nationally at the Catholic Press Association’s recent Catholic Media Convention in Indianapolis. The Catholic Exponent is the newspaper of the Diocese of Youngstown.

Father Walker is pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Warren, the merger of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and St. James churches, and chaplain at ValleyCare Health System/Trumbull Memorial Hospital.

He has been the Exponent’s Scripture reflection columnist since Nov. 24, 2000.

This is the third time that Father Walker’s columns have been recognized for their excellence by the Catholic press newspapers of the United States and Canada in the “Best Column: Scripture” category.

The priest’s winning columns were “Picnic table is special place to meet characters” published March 18; “Since the Garden of Eden, we’ve all been wandering exiles,” June 24; and “It takes growing faith to ‘step out’ of our own boat,” Aug. 5.

The judges said: “These catchy columns are written with colorful language and enticing stories with a new twist on understanding the Scriptures.”

Lou Jacquet, editor/general manager of the Exponent, said, “Catholics in the Diocese of Youngstown should be extremely proud of Father Walker’s work, which was judged by media professionals from beyond the Catholic press against Scripture columns in all diocesan newspapers across the United States and Canada. To create 52 original columns per year (two per issue) for so many years is an outstanding and, frankly, amazing feat of journalistic excellence. Seeing Father Walker receive national recognition once again for his creative and insightful columns only confirms what so many of the people in the pews have told us at the Catholic Exponent for years: that these columns by a gifted priest, speaker and writer continue to touch a deep nerve in the hearts of the faithful.”

Father Walker’s columns are carried on page 5 of each issue of the Exponent.

Current and back columns are available on the Exponent website, www.cathexpo.com.