While I am not one who watches or reads year-in-review shows or articles, I do on occasion share what I think are not so much the best photos of the year, but the people or experiences that have touched me.
In this year of COVID-19, there was a long list of photos we weren’t able to take, as virtually everyone has been required to work or learn remotely. However, I still work in the field doing my best to minimize the risk of exposure to the virus. What was once an on-the-go type job now receives a risk assessment before picking up my camera. Hand sanitizer, gloves and masks are now part of my gear bag.
Sports and education are my two favorite subjects since they offer a range of emotion and age. Unfortunately, both those fields have been either nearly shuttered or severely restricted.
Graduation ceremonies, while repetitive, are a celebration and a rite of passage that’s so important to students and their families. The Catholic Review’s graphic designer, Sara Travlos, and I brainstormed how we could use social media images to celebrate all 19 schools in our publication. It was one of the most challenging projects to assemble in a short time.
The last quarter of 2020 unintentionally began and ended at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Baynesville when I visited for the first day of the 2020-2021 school. Many weeks later, Father Jeff Dauses’ “Fool on the School” fundraiser drew cheers and laughter as the school raised money for a new Blessed Virgin Mary statue and garden. Controversy surrounding the reopening of schools nationwide was buzzing all the while. The silly fun of the roof stunt, which included a kindergartener who pied herself in the face unexpectedly, was a welcome break from the stress of the pandemic.
The annual Turkey Bowl matchup between Calvert Hall and Loyola Blakefield looked promising until days before Thanksgiving, when it was cancelled due to the spike in the virus cases. The highlight of my year and the culmination of four years of football for seniors of the two schools vanished into thin air. Just weeks before, I attended a soccer match-up between Archbishop Curley and Mount St. Joe, played to an empty stadium and a few parents pinned against the surrounding fence at the Mount.
Most recently, I could have recorded history as the first COVID-19 vaccinations at Stella Maris were administered to staff, but was unable to cover the assignment for reasons you’ll understand shortly.
Working photographers typically carry two camera bodies equipped with industry-standard lenses — a short lens (28-70mm) for close work and a long lens (80-200mm) for distance work. Social distancing being what it is these days, my long lens has gotten a workout. This was a little out of style for me, as I typically get up close and personal with my assignments. Pivot and adapt is standard operating procedure more than ever.
The Catholic Review staff has been working remotely since March 2020, adapting to a new workflow. We joined other Catholic publications from around the country for a several sessions on tools we could utilize to improve our efficiency. Not only did the sessions allow us to tighten our processes, we learned how far advanced we were in our digital environment compared to some of our colleagues. There was a sense of pride, I think, which showed our ideas have merit and flourish under challenging circumstances.
The Catholic Review remains an important part of our community. With the support of readers like you, we will continue to offer stories of hope, faith and if nothing more, a smile. Life is heavy these days. We all must remember to stop, breath and look out for one another.
It is humbling to know I am still able to share what I see through my viewfinder during these times when many of our friends and colleagues have lost their jobs due to the virus. For this, I am truly grateful. However, my appreciation does not stop there.
Over the past 14-months, my family has taken on the unexpected role of caregiver for my younger sister who is battling glioblastoma, or GBM — an aggressive form of brain cancer for which there is no cure. It’s taken the lives of more recognizable names such as Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy, as well as President-elect Joe Biden’s son Beau. No amount of money or privilege offers an escape from this merciless disease. However, we all hope and pray from a miracle.
Miracles comes in all shapes and sizes, including the unconditional support I have received from my colleagues over the past year. As the Catholic Review’s visual journalist, it’s a humble reminder that while a cure for my sister is nothing short of a miracle, the miracle is having an amazing medical team, family and colleagues that will guide and support us through this difficult time. No amount of thanks will ever be enough.
I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say my sister is much tougher than I am. You may recall a few short years back I shared my own brain tumor story. Many have asked if there’s a family connection. There is not. I feel like I’m the “lucky one,” coming out on the other side and still about to do what I love:
photography and telling stories.
As we say a farewell and good riddance to 2020, I selected some images that made me smile or gave me energy these past months.
While we struggle to put COVID-19 behind us, we must never forget to put community and neighbor above self. We’ll never be perfect. We can, however, be the miracle to someone by simply being kind and understanding, offering a smile or just saying hello. An unconscionable number of lives have been lost to COVID-19. The ripple effects from those losses will not end anytime soon. We only get one go-round at this journey called “life.” Some are lucky to get second chances. Make the most of it. Be the miracle.
Happy New Year and a brighter 2021!
Email Kevin Parks at kparks@CatholicReview.org.
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