PORTLAND, Maine — On Saturday, March 29, the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) presented awards across 35 categories, highlighting the top newspaper and online news sites across the six-state region during an awards banquet held in Portland, Maine.
Laura Kilgus, Associate Editor and Production Manager, won First Place in Illustration/Infographics for her design of “Road to Providence,” marking the milestones of then-Bishop Richard G. Henning’s life as he prepared to become Bishop of Providence.
Rick Snizek, Executive Editor, won Second Place in the General New Story category for “Attack survivor says Israel must make a deal to ensure release of the hostages, including two of her own children,” an interview in Tel Aviv with a survivor of the October 7, 2023, attacks on the Gaza border.
Rhode Island Catholic was also honored by NENPA this cycle with a prestigious Publick Occurrences Award on September 21 during a luncheon at the NENPA/NYPA (New York Press Association) Fall Publisher’s Conference, held at the Omni Hotel in Providence.
Rhode Island Catholic won for its “Israel at War Series,” which the contest judges deemed “a remarkable 4-part report on the conflict in Israel and Gaza, written from firsthand observations.”
Executive Editor Rick Snizek reported from Ashkelon, the southernmost city in Israel, on the Gaza border, on day one of the Israeli ground invasion into Gaza, as well as from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
The annual New England Press Awards prestigious competition celebrates the skill, passion and determination it takes to produce top-quality publications. It offers an exciting opportunity for talented newspaper professionals to be recognized for their exceptional work.
Rhode Island Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Providence and the fourth oldest Catholic newspaper still in operation in the U.S., has won more than 100 national Catholic press awards in the last 10 years alone, as well as many secular honors for its coverage of local, national and international issues.
Rhode Island Catholic, which began and flourished for nearly all of its 150 years as The Providence Visitor, is celebrating its sesquicentennial in 2025. We are also planning to feature profiles of those from across the diocese who make a difference in their parishes, schools and organizations. To that end, we are welcoming our loyal readers to suggest such individuals that we could feature. Please send us your ideas for these unsung heroes to Editor@thericatholic.com.
