July 1, 2026

North Country Catholic

“Another among many entries about encounters with Pope Francis, but this was moving and poignant. The encounters gave a picture of the pope through the eyes of the person who met him, and each was impacted in some way.”

That’s how a Catholic Media Association judge described the North Country Catholic’s April 30, 2025, edition, “Remembering Pope Francis.” The newspaper, along with Editor Darcy Fargo and Bishop Terry R. LaValley, were awarded second place in the “Hot Topic – Pope Francis” category in the 2025 Catholic Media Awards (formerly Catholic Press Awards). The award was announced at the Catholic Media Association Conference in Atlantic City on June 19.

First place honors in the category went to The Georgia Bulletin for “Atlantans Remember Pope Francis for Mercy, Bold Initiatives and Art of Encounter. Third place was awarded to National Catholic Reporter for “For Pope Francis, Beauty was Revolutionary. It Was the Face of God.” Honorable mentions were awarded to The Tablet and National Catholic Reporter.

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized by the Catholic Media Association,” said Bishop LaValley. “While I’ve always believed our North Country Catholic is an outstanding publication, it’s always nice to know our esteemed colleagues in the publishing and media industry agree. Our small newspaper consistently punches above its weight, winning awards in categories dominated by large market and national publications, and I’m incredibly proud of the work our team does to create such a newspaper worthy of such recognition. While we were all saddened by the passing of Pope Francis, it seems fitting that he was remembered in an edition that represents some of our best work as a newspaper. It is with much gratitude that we offer congratulations to our editor, Darcy Fargo, and editorial assistant, Christine Ward, in recognition of their hard work in producing our awarding winning North Country Catholic.”

“It never gets old seeing our little newspaper holding its own along with much, much larger publications,” added Fargo. “The judge’s inclusion of the term ‘another among many entries’ in the award description is a testament to the fact that it was a competitive category, and it makes it that much more heartwarming to know our newspaper and our reflections stood out.”

This is the newspaper’s ninth Catholic Press/Media Award since 2016.