By EmmaLee Italia | Correspondent

Producing a Spanish language Catholic television program is both challenging and rewarding for the team members involved. But all the hard work paid off this year when the diocesan-produced show “Cristo Para Todos” – “Christ for All” – was officially recognized with a Gabriel Award.

“It’s really a great accomplishment,” said Marianne Hartman, director of the diocesan Department of Radio and Television. “I’m really excited for them, because they all have worked so hard.”

Named for St. Gabriel the Archangel, patron saint of television, radio and all digital communication, the Gabriel Awards are presented annually by the Catholic Academy in recognition of work that proclaims value-centered views of society and humanity, primarily through the media. Founded in 1965, their presentation has been the culmination of an intensive screening process and blue ribbon judging. The awards honor works of excellence in film, network, cable television and radio, as well as social media.

The episode won in the category of “Religious, National or Local Release.” The 50th annual Gabriel Awards will be presented at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel, New York, on June 25.

Entrants go through a selective process of preliminary screening and judging by values, content, creativity, artistic and technical quality and impact. Media professionals, through the awards, have an opportunity to be honored for outstanding work that might otherwise not be recognized for its enrichment value. The award is a silver angel – Gabriel – raising a globe overhead encircled by electrons to symbolize communicating God’s Word to humanity.

 “Ofrenda Diezmo o Limosna (Offering, Tithing or Alms-giving),” is an episode that the department “had a lot of success with,” according to producer and host Matthew Greeley. Airing in July 2014, the Neilson ratings on Telemundo, Phila., and Univision, New York, indicated the program was viewed in 80,000 households.

“We picked that episode (to enter in the Gabriel Awards) because we thought all the segments worked well,” Greeley continued. “The interview was very good at explaining why giving is important, to God and community. It had depth to it.”

CPT episodes include segments of humorous skits, special guests, music by the group Ministerio Getsemaní, composed of musicians from around the Diocese, interviews with Catholic Latinos from around the Diocese – a segment called “Christians under Construction” – and a reflection on Scripture related to the episode topic.

In “Ofrenda Diezmo o Limosna,” discussion centers on different ways Catholics are called to give to the Church, specifically through offerings at Mass, tithing and alms-giving. Featured guest speaker José Sanabria from St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, breaks down the Church’s teaching on giving. Led by hosts Ericka Rodríguez and Greeley, the episode was written by Esteban Cairol Guzmán, edited by Carlos Delcid, and produced with the help of Cynthia Pineda, Jorge Altamiranda, skit director and cameraman Frank Lettieri and supervising producer Rosemary Kimball.

“The production quality and the acting were good,” Greeley noted. The skit actors are all volunteers, and Greeley added, “We stretch people.” For this award-winning episode, Delcid, the department’s intern and junior at Rider University, was “coerced into acting in the skit. And he was awesome!”

“Every production takes a talented team that works well together and compliments one another’s abilities,” agreed Kimball. “CPT focuses on crafting a message that appeals to all age groups. The team works very hard on every episode, and I’m grateful to see their work recognized.”

This is the first Gabriel Award for CPT in its seven-year history. Begun in 2006 as AHTV – Apostolato Hispano Television – it won a Proclaim Award from the Catholic Communication Campaign in its first year, as well as a videographer award. The show evolved and changed format over the years, becoming CPT in 2010.

“This is the only show we produce that airs on broadcast TV,” Hartman explained. “It’s really a big accomplishment to have a Catholic program in the New York and Philadelphia television markets.”

The departments other two productions, Realfaith TV and The Catholic Corner, air on local cable programs and other television and cable channels worldwide. Realfaith TV, now 15 years running, has won three Gabriels in its tenure. But CPT is the only Spanish-language program produced by the Diocese, and fills a ministerial role that might otherwise be left void.

 “It definitely fills a gap for the Latino community,” Hartman said, “to have the Catholic presence and message on a station they watch regularly, and in their own language. CPT is spiritually uplifting and the skits add a little humor … I don’t speak the language, but I still enjoy watching the skits!”

Greeley also feels that CPT gives the Spanish-speaking Catholic community an outlet, and shows them in a very positive light.

“Immigrant communities are often voiceless,” Greeley said, “and (CPT) shows the Latino community … that we value them – we walk with them, we learn from them, we grow with them. ‘Cristo Para Todos’ is a great way to raise them up and make them shine.”