ST, LOUIS (CNS) — Broadcaster Vin Scully, who for 67 years has done play-by-play for the Dodgers in Los Angeles and before that in Brooklyn, New York, received the Gabriel Personal Achievement Award June 2 from the Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals.
The award was presented during the Catholic Media Convention in St. Louis.
Scully “epitomizes what the Gabriel Awards represent: positive, upbeat, soulful, kindhearted and conscientious,” said Susan Wallace, chair of this year’s Gabriel Awards competition. “For nearly seven decades, Vin Scully has been the reassuring voice of honesty and optimism in sports broadcasting, enthralling viewers and listeners with his limitless knowledge of baseball and illuminating lessons on life.”
A lifelong Catholic, Scully, 88, couldn’t accept the award in person as the Dodgers were playing in Los Angeles against the Atlanta Braves. But in a prerecorded acceptance speech, he asked that a photo be sent to him of all the priests and women religious in attendance at the ceremony, saying he wanted to take it with him on Judgement Day so he can hold it up and say, “I’m with them.”
Helen Osman, former secretary of communications for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, received the academy’s Clarion Award.
The Clarion Award recognizes “a timely contribution to Catholic communicators through organizational service; through creativity in a communications effort or product; through service to a diocese, institution or religious order; at a personal or career milestone; through excellence in communications leadership, ecumenical cooperation or industry collaboration.”