Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals at 1645 Brook Lynn Dr., Ste 2, Dayton, OH 45432-1933 US - 2002 Personal Achievement Award Winner
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2002 Personal Achievement Award Winner
Mike Farrell received Gabriel Personal Achievement in memory of Fr. Patrick Peyton and in the name of people on death row and in poverty-stricken areas |
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UNIVERSAL CITY – Actor, producer, director and humanitarian Mike Farrell accepted recently the U.S. Catholic communication association’s Gabriel Award for Personal Achievement, presented “in memory of Father Patrick Peyton, CSC,” in the name of many people on death row and in poverty-stricken areas whom he has touched and who has touched him.
“It is an honor to represent them publicly,” said Farrell who was honored equally for his professional achievements in the film industry and his personal commitment as a voice for the oppressed and forgotten.
He is president of Death Penalty Focus and a spokesperson for CONCERN/America, an international development and refugee aid organization. Farrell portrayed Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt in the TV hit series M*A*S*H and is in his fifth year of portraying Dr. James Hanson on NBC’s Providence. He co-owns a production company, Family Motion Pictures, which develops value-oriented films.
The Personal Achievement Award and 25 Gabriel Awards for outstanding artistic achievement in programs that uplift the human spirit and respect human dignity were presented at the Gabriel Awards Banquet Oct. 19 concluding the last annual assembly of Unda-USA held in late October at a Universal City hotel.
At this past assembly, Unda-USA (Catholic broadcasters, producers, diocesan communications directors and other media professionals) merged with Cine and Media, the U.S. affiliate of the Catholic Organization for Cinema and Audiovisual (OCIC), to become the Catholic Academy of Communication Arts Professionals, and the U.S. affiliate of SIGNIS. Unda-World and OCCIC merged last November in Rom to form SIGNIS.
Whereas preliminary and blue-ribbon juries select the winning entries for the broadcast awards, the Personal Achievement Award recipient has been selected by the Unda Board of Directors and now will be chosen by the Catholic Academy’s board. Since 1994 the award has been sponsored by Family Theater Productions, Hollywood, in honor of its founder, Servant of God Father Peyton, the famed Catholic media pioneer, “Rosary priest” and now sainthood candidate.
Previous winners include TV personality/author Art Linkletter (2001), actors Ricardo Montalbán (2000), Della Reese (1999), Angela Lansbury (1994), and broadcast journalists Ted Koppel (1993) and Walter Cronkite (1980). Gabriel Awards have been presented since 1965.
In a separate awards ceremony during the assembly, Gabriel film awards were presented to New Line Cinema for “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” for best drama, and to Warner Bros. Pictures for “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” for best family fare.
The Catholic Broadcasters Association, Unda-USA’s predecessor, began the Gabriel Awards. CBA became Unda-USA in 1972 and now in 2002, Unda becomes the Catholic Academy for Communication Arts Professionals, which will continue bestowing Gabriel Awards.
In accepting the Personal Achievement Award in the name of many forgotten ones in society, Farrell said, “The duty of privilege is integrity and responsibility. The leaders of this country need to live up to those principles rather than denigrate them. Fundamentally the difference is and the proper choice is not to go to war, not to raise the sword,” he said in reference to the United States’ possible military action against Iraq.
“In his book The Reluctant Saint: The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, Donald Spoto calls us to think about the lives we touch and forget and leave behind. “I thank you for having the temerity to honor me. I will continue to speak out with integrity.”
