Three members of the communications team for the Catholic Diocese of Salina were recently honored by the national Catholic Media Association for their work with diocesan publications during the 2023 calendar year.
Matea Gregg, a native of Hays who now lives in Salina, and current Hays resident Diane Gasper-O’Brien – both Fort Hays State University alumni – were joined by Katie Hamel, Lenora, in picking up several awards from the Catholic Media Conference earlier this month in Atlanta, Ga.
Gregg, a 2015 graduate of Thomas More Prep-Marian High School in Hays who now works for the Salina Diocese, won first place in the CMA’s Social Media Professional-of-the-Year category. She is the videographer and content manager for the diocese’s social media platforms.
Gregg and Hamel also received second-place honors for their “I Said Yes” video on diocesan seminarians.
Hamel, creative editor for the diocesan’s Faith Magazine, received two individual first-place awards: for Best Reporting on the Celebration of a Sacrament, “Crossroads: A son’s journey home,” a reconciliation story of a man rediscovering his faith, and in the Best Interview category for her “Remembering Cecelia” submission that centered on a mother’s journey toward recovery after losing her 7-year-old daughter in a tragic accident.
The diocesan newspaper, The Register, also won awards under Hamel’s direction as editor.
Gasper-O’Brien, a freelance writer for The Register and a longtime Hays journalist, earned two awards from the CMA.
She won second place for Best News Writing on Regional Events that included coverage of events such as naming the Herington post office in honor of U.S. Army Capt. Father Emil Kapaun and the dedication of Kansas State University’s new St.
Isidore Church. She also received honorable mention recognition for Best Reporting on a Senior Citizen, “A Stitch in Time,” a story about a 95-year-old seamstress from Manhattan.
The CMA is an association of publishers and media professionals that serves the church and spreads good news through Catholic media all across the United States and Canada.
The vast Salina Diocese covers 26,000-plus square miles while serving more than 35,000 Catholics in 86 parishes in central and western Kansas.