Announcing the 2026 Father John Catoir Social Media Evangelization Award Winner

The Catholic Media Association is pleased to announce Fanny Gomez-Diaz as the recipient of the 2026 Father John Catoir Social Media Evangelization Award. The announcement was made on June 19, 2026, at the annual Catholic Media Awards and 60th Annual Gabriel Awards event. This celebration was the final event of the annual Catholic Media Conference, taking place this year in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

This annual honor recognizes individual excellence in leveraging the unique power of social media to make Jesus known and loved. The award honors the enduring legacy of Father John Catoir, whose joyful ministry and commitment to digital communication left a lasting mark on the Church. Along with a commemorative certificate, the award includes a $400 cash prize to underwrite the technology required to develop and sustain these critical evangelization efforts.

This award is made possible thanks to the generosity of  St. Jude Media Ministry, which was founded by Fr. Catoir in 1995 with the purpose of
sharing joyful and uplifting messages to those who need it most.

The Winning Campaign: "Storytellers"

Nominee: Fanny Gomez-Diaz
Organization: Franciscan Friars Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Platform: Instagram

Fanny Gomez-Diaz, serving as the Social Media Manager for the Franciscan Friars Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe, recognized a vital opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional ministry and a rising generation. In May 2025, she conceptualized and launched the "Storytellers" initiative.

The campaign focuses on recruiting and empowering younger friars to become authentic content creators, turning them into the primary digital faces and voices of the province. Through organic visual storytelling, personal reflections, and behind-the-scenes looks into their daily ministries, the "Storytellers" initiative has successfully fostered genuine community and religious connection in the digital space.

Why This Campaign Won

The Father John Catoir Award features a strict two-tiered evaluation process. First and foremost is the campaign's ability to achieve meaningful outcomes through audience engagement and response. Second is the overall production quality and writing style utilized to deliver the message.

The "Storytellers" initiative achieved exceptional marks in both categories:

• Unprecedented audience engagement: Between the launch of the campaign in May 2025 and March 2026, the province's Instagram followers nearly tripled, growing from 2,229 to 6,268.
• Expanded digital reach: Total monthly views more than doubled during the campaign period, skyrocketing from 28,778 to over 66,600.
• Targeted demographic impact: The campaign successfully reached the highly coveted Gen Z and Millennial audiences, with data showing the dominant follower age bracket settling between 25 and 44 years old.
• High production standards: The short-form video reels balanced high-quality visual production with an approachable, modern style, making complex spiritual topics both relatable and engaging for the contemporary scroller.

"Empowering young friars to act as modern digital missionaries requires a distinct strategic vision. The resulting content is relatable, visually beautiful, and deeply effective at utilizing modern social platforms to spread the Gospel message."

Celebrating Digital Missionaries

By transforming younger friars into digital storytellers, Fanny Gomez-Diaz has created a replicable blueprint for modern Catholic communication. Her work advances Franciscan values in a highly professional, visually creative, and deeply authentic way.

The Catholic Media Association extends its warmest congratulations to Fanny Gomez-Diaz and the Franciscan Friars Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe for their outstanding contribution to digital evangelization.