Fr Jegorow received his ACPA lifetime membership award at the 2018 ACPA conference in Brisbane early this month. Photo: Neil Helmore.
Ballajura Parish Priest Fr John Jegorow is now a lifetime member of the Australasian Catholic Press Association (ACPA).
Fr Jegorow received the honour on Wednesday 5 September at the 2018 ACPA Awards Ceremony in Brisbane.
From the early days of his priesthood, Fr Jegorow has viewed good communication to be at the height of his priestly ministry.
He gave great support and honed his skills in assisting the late Fr Patrick Cunningham during his time as President of the ACPA and Editor of The Record for many years.
Fr Jegorow first attended an ACPA conference with Fr Cunningham in Wellington, New Zealand in the mid-1990s, and since then has continued his attendance.
The ACPA Executive and members acknowledged Fr Jegorow’s regular and cheerful attendance at the annual conferences of the ACPA, who has not only been able to keep abreast of development in the world of Catholic social communications, but also to render a pastoral presence of recognition of, and encouragement for all its members.
As an Editor of several publications over his lifetime, including the National Council of Priests publication The Swag, and his own parish publication, The Crossroads, Fr Jegorow is sensitive to the needs and interests of his readership.
Fellow ACPA Life Member Fr Frank Freeman said this skill has been evident in his 10 years as editor of The Swag – a quarterly magazine of the National Council of Priests of Australian, and The Crossroads – a quarterly publication unique in the Australian church.
Some 15,000 copies of The Crossroads are distributed free to all residents in five local suburbs.
“The publication has an all-inclusive readership and stand in evidence of Fr Jegorow’s firm belief that Church communications need to be aimed at and reach all people, not just the churchgoers,” Fr Freeman said.
“With this initiative, he has certainly ventured ‘Out into the Deep’ and as such its ground-breaking role was recognised by recent ACPA Awards,” he said.
“Much of Fr Jegorow’s pastoral approach, with its all-inclusive means of communications, can be traced to his dual cultures.
“So obviously proud of his Ukrainian heritage, he has skilfully wedded elements of its rich culture to the everyday practicalities of the Australian Church,” Fr Freeman added.
Former Diocese of Paramatta Editor Jane Favotto was also awarded Life Membership at the 2018 ACPA Awards ceremony.
Her 25 years of industry experience covers a wide range of publishing and communications roles, including publication officer for the Pharmacy Guild, stints at NSW regional papers and 14 years at Melbourne’s The Age.