Chicago Catholic photo editor Karen Callaway received the prestigious St. Francis de Sales Award during the Catholic Media Association’s annual convention on June 19 in Atlantic City.

The St. Francis de Sales Award is the highest honor the CMA bestows on an individual. It recognizes a member who has made outstanding contributions to Catholic journalism through their professional work and dedication to the mission.

The following is the nomination letter Chicago Catholic editor Joyce Duriga submitted for Callaway. Several of Callaway’s colleagues contributed to the nomination:

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.

View Callaway’s video acceptance speech at
youtu.be/xwg_8qzT9yc?si=aheJADGOdNPZr_Oh.