CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Journalists from across the country gathered at the Sheraton Charlotte in North Carolina for the 2014 Catholic Media Conference on June 18-20. The three-day conference offered guest speakers and workshops to further enhance the skills of Catholic journalists.

The conference concluded with the Catholic Press Awards Banquet. The Buffalo diocesan Office of Communications took home a third place award for the 2013 Catholic Directory. This marks the second year in a row Buffalo has won third place for its Catholic Directory. The Directory also took home an Honorable Mention in 2010. The CPA awards recognize excellence in writing, photography and design.

"Another CPA award for our Catholic Directory reconfirms the fantastic job our team does at creating and maintaining this vital source of information for our diocese. Now that the Directory is available online it is even more useful and accurate than ever before," said Gregg Prince, Directory team leader.

The Diocese of Buffalo will host the 2015 CMC conference next June. This will entail intense planning to organize keynote speakers and workshop presenters, as well as showing off the Nickel City to 200 editors and reporters from across the country.

 "This is an honor to be chosen to host the conference," said Rick Franusiak, managing editor of the Western New York Catholic. "It will be a lot of work, but we are looking forward to showing off our city to our guests and fellow journalists. Not only is the staff of the Western New York Catholic enthused, but the entire staff of the Communications Department is as well."

The Catholic Press Association sponsors the annual media conference. The CPA formed in 1911 during a meeting in Columbus, Ohio, comprised of 60 delegates from 37 publications. The organization assists its members to serve effectively, through the medium of the printed word, the social, intellectual and spiritual needs of the entire human family, and to spread and support the Kingdom of God. In 2008, Timothy Walter, formerly of Milwaukee's Catholic Herald, became the executive director of the CPA.