Ethel M. Gintoft Will Receive 2005 Woman of Faith Award

The Sisters of the Divine Savior have named Ethel M. Gintoft as the 2005 Woman of Faith Award recipient. The award ceremony and reception for Ms. Gintoft was  held on Thursday, September 29, at 7 p.m. at the Sisters’ Community House Chapel, 4311 North 100 Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

“Ethel is being honored as a respected journalist and leader in Catholic journalism and for her contribution to the Catholic Press. She is also an advocate for justice and peace,” explained Sister Marion Etzel, SDS, Provincial Leader of the Sisters of the Divine Savior, also known as Salvatorian Sisters.

Ethel was a national leader in the Catholic Press. She was the first woman president of the Catholic Press Association and was awarded its highest honor, the St. Francis de Sales Award. As a young widow with two sons, she completed a Master’s program at Marquette University. For thirty-five years, she was a writer, editor and associate publisher for the Catholic Herald, a diocesan newspaper of the Milwaukee Archdiocese. She entered the profession during Vatican II, the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War.

“I wanted to be a journalist and serve the Church. The Catholic press apostolate was filled with great minds and people dedicated to the Church. I felt drawn to this ministry and was given opportunities to contribute to serve in leadership,” Ethel pointed out.

Ms. Gintoft is a member of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Milwaukee. She has served on the church’s parish council, communications and long-range planning committees. Her sons, daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren live in the Milwaukee area. “A great day is being with my children and grandchildren. I cannot imagine anything more joyful than feeling the love and loving these people. For me, being together with my family is a glimpse into heaven,” she said.

One colleague said, “As an editor, Ethel set high standards for herself and for those around her. The walls in the Catholic Herald are covered with awards from the Catholic Press Association. Ethel played a key role behind many of these awards. She believed a Catholic newspaper should inform, evangelize and unite Catholics in the diocese.” Milwaukee Journalist Maryangela Layman Roman also pointed out that Ethel is a kind and compassionate person, dedicated to her family and her job. “Her work was more than a job-it was her true vocation and mission in life,” she emphasized.