2026 St. Francis de Sales Award Finalists

The St. Francis de Sales Award is the highest honor our association bestows. It recognizes the professional excellence and personal witness that define our mission and inspire our community.

This year we received 10 nominations from across our membership. Following our association guidelines, a committee made up of the five most recent recipients reviewed these names against our official standards and selected three finalists for your consideration.

We invite you to read about their contributions and cast your vote by April 22.

How to Vote

The ballot is at the bottom of the page. Please choose both a first place and a second place candidate.

The winner is determined by the highest number of first place votes. In the event of a tie, we use the second place votes to determine the recipient. Every vote is vital in helping us recognize the best of our profession.

The photojournalism of Karen Callaway, longtime photo editor for the Chicago Catholic, has shown that the faith is never boring. It is moving, exciting, emotional, electric, awe inspiring, but never ever boring.

Karen has a gift for capturing moments that go straight to the heart of the viewers. This is a skill that cannot be taught. It is a gift that comes from the soul.

Her mentor, Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist John H. White of the Chicago Sun-Times, calls her photos “visual blessings.” They provide “fresh hope” to those who see her images, he says. Karen is an “earthly angel on an assignment from God speaking in the language of the visual,” White said. 

As Karen’s editor for 18 years, I have witnessed firsthand that John speaks the truth. 

We are always receiving requests to use her photos or to reprint them. More often than not, when we post Karen’s photos from events on our social media the views and interactions climb into the tens of thousands and several times a year an assignment will soar over 100,000 viewers and interactions just on Facebook alone.

People can't help but respond to her images.

As a member of the Catholic press and the media in general, Karen is always generous with her time mentoring young photographers and her colleagues.

Through her images Karen has impacted the Catholic Church, not just in Chicago but around the country. She has won dozens of awards, photographed several papal visits at the request of Catholic News Service and her photos have been featured in local and national news media. Her photos also have been featured in national campaigns by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

It isn’t just me who believes she deserves the St. Francis de Sales Award. Her colleagues also shared their thoughts:

Nancy Wiechec, former visual media manager and photos and graphics editor for Catholic News Service for 20 years, award winning photographer and media specialist:

Karen’s work touches every corner of the Archdiocese of Chicago and reaches far beyond it. Her photography has appeared in Catholic magazines, Catholic News Service, books, and secular media. For decades, she has been a devoted recorder of Catholic life. An exemplary photojournalist, Karen is always striving to improve her craft, generously sharing her knowledge with others, and uplifting the profession she loves.

Full-time photographers in Catholic media are rare, and so are women photojournalists. Even today, they represent less than 15% of the field. It is uncommon for a woman to devote her entire career to this work, and rarer still to find one like Karen who has done so with passion, strength, talent, and faithfulness.

She approaches every story with humility and care, bringing the same enthusiasm to photographing a parish fish fry as she does to covering a Mass with the pope. Karen’s contributions to Catholic journalism are longstanding and profound.

Her images have shaped the profession, honored the people and moments she has captured, and invited countless viewers to pause, reflect, and connect more deeply with the life of the Church.

I can think of no one more deserving of Catholic media’s highest honor.

If Karen were to receive the St. Francis de Sales Award, she would accept it with gratitude and humility. Yet I know her heart would also turn to St. Veronica, whom she has long regarded as the patron saint of Catholic photojournalists.

Karen often shared St. Veronica medals with her colleagues—as a gesture of protection, but also as a reminder that our work is, at its core, about bearing witness. Through her lens, Karen has done exactly that: faithfully recording the life of the Church and sharing images that inform, inspire, and move people toward deeper understanding of life and faith.

Paul Haring, manager of photography for the Knights of Columbus in New Haven, Connecticut, and Vatican photographer for Catholic News Service in Rome for 13 years:

The byline of Karen Callaway is synonymous with excellent photography. For the past 30 years Karen has dedicated her craft to telling the story of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago and beyond. From photographing community events in Chicago to covering national news for Catholic News Service, she has made impressive contributions to Catholic journalism.

Karen’s long photography career has been a reflection of who she is as a person. Her photos convey her love for people and show her enthusiasm for life. She has been a truthful teller of the human story, covering the Catholic Church with faithfulness and honesty.

Karen’s photos have not only communicated the news but have also inspired because they authentically document the human experience.

I’m proud to nominate Karen to receive the St. Francis de Sales Award. She is deserving of this honor in view of her outstanding visual journalism and dedication to telling the story of the Catholic Church.

Brian Olszewski, former editor and general manager of the Northwest Indiana Catholic for the Diocese of Gary, Indiana, and former editor and general manager for the Catholic Herald for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee:

When Karen joined the Northwest Indiana Catholic in 1987, few diocesan publications had a full-time photojournalist on staff. Karen’s hiring was an investment in Catholic visual storytelling, in moving beyond check-passing and grip-and-grin photos to attention-grabbing visuals that allowed readers/viewers to feel the emotions generated by her images.

Whether it is a papal visit, mission trip to Haiti, death row execution vigil, neighborhood Marian procession, profile of a Special Olympian, church social ministry or parish festival, her approach is: Shoot with a purpose. Work the assignment. Make sure the images tell the story.

For more than 30 years, Karen’s passion for photojournalism has resulted in work that has allowed editors and their readers/viewers to see the church, its people and its work, in a powerful and inspiring way.

One of the best ways to understand the positive impact a person has on other people—and his or her profession—comes from the tributes people share about that person’s continuing influence on their lives years later.
I had already planned to nominate Mike Krokos—editor of The Criterion in Indianapolis and a former board member of CMA—for the St. Francis de Sales Award when I received notes from two of his former colleagues wanting to make sure Mike was nominated.

Catholic columnist Christina Capecchi wrote: “Mike hired me for my first job, and more than two decades later, I am still inspired by his leadership and friendship. He is a gift to the Catholic press–and to all who know him. His excellence as an editor is matched by his character as a person. Through his steady example–one that is undergirded by the twin pillars of humility and humor–Mike has left a profound legacy in the Catholic press. He is well deserving of the prestigious St. Francis de Sales Award.”

Then came a letter from David Hrbacek, a colleague of Mike’s from their days together 25 years ago at The Catholic Spirit in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Hrbacek wrote: “I am now in my 30th year as a writer and photographer for The Catholic Spirit. As I look back, I see roots of both my longevity and success in the years I worked for—and with—Mike Krokos. Mike’s strength came out of his humility. I was always supported when I wanted to try something new. After he left for Indianapolis, I got to see him at future CMA conferences. Most notable among them was 2012, the year Indianapolis hosted the gathering. Mike worked feverishly all week. He also got the conference right. Of all the ones I attended, that by far was the most enjoyable and impactful.”

Mike receives similar high praise from his colleagues in Indianapolis, which will be shared later in this tribute. For now, let’s consider Mike’s impact through his dedication to Catholic journalism.

Mike led The Catholic Spirit to first place in the “General Excellence” category for Newspaper of the Year in 2004. Mike has also led The Criterion staff to the first-place award in the “General Excellence” category for Best Newspaper in three of the past four years. What many would consider as a remarkable professional achievement, Mike regards as his best way of serving God and bringing people to Him.

During that recent stretch, he also served for two years as interim director of communications for the archdiocese while also serving for two years on the archdiocese’s planning committee for the National Eucharistic Congress, which drew more than 50,000 people to Indianapolis in 2024.

Mike also served as a media liaison for the event, took photos, wrote stories and editorials, and coordinated The Criterion staff in covering the congress—efforts which provided complete and insightful coverage of this congress to readers of Catholic newspapers across the country and around the world.
He brought that same commitment in leading our staff to covering the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in 2025.

Combining all these roles, they make for a whirlwind period that shows Mike’s deep commitment to promoting the Catholic faith, sharing the faith and, most importantly, living the faith—all in the model of St. Francis de Sales. Still, this recent period is just a small part of Mike’s passion for the Catholic faith and Catholic journalism—a passion that now extends to 30 years.

Mike began that commitment in 1996 as the editor of The Catholic News Herald in the Diocese of Charlotte before becoming the editor of The Catholic Spirit.

Mike’s commitment to Catholic journalism has extended to the Catholic Media Association through the years. He is a former board member while also serving as chairperson of the association’s awards committee for four years.

He has also lived his commitment to his Catholic faith in his parish, St. Louis de Montfort in Fishers, Ind. He is a member of the men’s ministry, part of the parish’s weekly rosary group, and the leader of the prayer committee for the parish’s capital campaign.

All these faith-filled commitments reflect the way he places his relationship with God at the heart of his life—a relationship that is apparent in his dedication to his family and the family he has created at The Criterion.

“It is not a fluke that Mike has been the editor of two newspapers that won top honors from the Catholic Media Association,” notes Brandon Evans, online editor of The Criterion. “But his service isn’t just as a leader. Mike does the hard work he expects of his staff, often slinging a camera over his shoulder and taking a notepad in hand to report on stories that may have slipped through the cracks otherwise.

“He isn’t just a good Catholic journalist, he is a passionate one. His lifetime of outstanding service to our line of work—to our craft—comes not because Mike works in a field he knows, but because he works in one that he loves.”

Mary King, assistant director of communications for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, praises, “Mike leads with humility, consistently crediting his team and trusting in the power of prayer rather than personal recognition. As a servant leader, he relies on collaboration and faith to ensure that The Criterion remains a credible, inspiring and Christ-centered voice for the archdiocese.”

“Before coming to The Criterion, I worked for 25 years at The Indianapolis Star where I had the blessing of working with many talented editors who were also good people,” says John Shaughnessy, the paper’s assistant editor. “Mike is at the top of my list of favorite editors. He has the talent, dedication and leadership qualities that all excellent editors have. He also cares deeply about God, his family, his friends, his colleagues and his work, all from a firm foundation of humble yet inspiring faith.”

For his faithful witness, editorial leadership and enduring impact on Catholic journalism, we nominate Mike Krokos for the St. Francis de Sales Award.

Joe Towalski has devoted his career to Catholic journalism and communications, beginning in 1992 when he joined the staff of The Visitor, the official newspaper of the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Over the course of his career, Joe has demonstrated not only his journalistic skill but also an unwavering commitment to faith-based reporting and communication, shaping the Catholic media landscape for over three decades.

As a reporter for The Visitor, Joe earned recognition for his work, winning several awards during his six years in the newsroom. His exceptional skills and keen editorial eye led him to become editor, a role he held for an impressive 25 years. Under his leadership, the publication consistently garnered awards, including General Excellence, a testament to Joe’s ability to guide The Visitor, The Catholic Spirit, and The Central Minnesota Catholic to prominence. His editorials, widely praised for their depth, clarity, and faithfulness, have contributed to elevating the quality of Catholic journalism within the region.

In 2005, Joe's editorial expertise was called upon by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, where he became editor of The Catholic Spirit. His leadership resulted in the paper winning the coveted General Excellence award four out of six years during his tenure. Additionally, Joe successfully steered his team through an archdiocesan reorganization, demonstrating not only his editorial acumen but also his capacity for visionary leadership and adaptability in a time of transition.

In 2014, Joe returned to the Diocese of St. Cloud, where he took on dual roles as communications director and editor of The Visitor. In 2019, Joe guided the paper through a remarkable transition from newspaper to magazine format, a move that set the stage for unprecedented success. The newly re-imagined Central Minnesota Catholic magazine earned the Magazine of the Year award in its inaugural year and has continued to earn accolades from the Catholic Media Association for its excellence and innovation. Joe’s leadership in this transition has made him a sought-after resource for Catholic media colleagues nationwide, who regularly consult him on navigating similar transformations in their own dioceses.

Throughout his career, Joe Towalski has truly given his life to Catholic media — championing the mission of spreading the Gospel through the power of the written word. His dedication to the Church and its media outreach is unparalleled, and his legacy of service continues to inspire those in the field.

For these reasons and countless others, it is with great respect and admiration that we nominate Joe Towalski for the prestigious St. Francis de Sales Award.