Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ" and the CBS television show "Joan of Arcadia" received awards at the 12th annual Mass and awards luncheon by Catholics in Media Associates (CIMA).

Also honored with a lifetime achievement award for her theatre, film and television career as well as her charitable work was Jane Wyatt Ward, best known for her role as Margaret Anderson in the popular 1950s television show "Father Knows Best."

CIMA annually recognizes film and television that uplifts and inspires. "The Passion of the Christ" also defied Hollywood expectations and broke box office records for religious films.

Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in the film, presented the award to producer-director Gibson and producer Stephen McEveety. Gibson said the movie was for him "a meditation on the Stations of the Cross which I wanted others to visualize to change hearts, to change minds, to reawaken people --- even to incur their wrath. That is a reaction, and not always a negative one."

During his remarks, Gibson also expressed dismay about the passage of Proposition 71 in California to fund embryonic stem cell research. "Peoples' voices need to be raised against it, because the surest sign of any civilization that crumbles is when they begin to commit human sacrifice beforehand," said the director.

More than 500 people attended the Nov. 7 luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Tom Dreesen served as master of ceremonies during the award presentation, and San Gabriel Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala presided at the Mass with 12 priests concelebrating.

The work of the award winners "has struck a chord in our consciousness," said Bishop Zavala. "They have brought God, moral and ethical questions and the impact of human behavior into the public forum in such a way as to invite in-depth conversations and dialogues about what really matters."

Joe Mantegna, who plays Will Girardi on "Joan of Arcadia" presented the television award to the show's creator and executive producer Barbara Hall. In 2002 Hall was honored by CIMA for producing the television show "Judging Amy." She returned this year with a hit Friday night show about a teenage girl who frequently talks to and sees God.

Hall said she felt compelled to create the show to "initiate a conversation with the rest of the country or the world to begin a dialogue about the possibility of God. This is a show also for the alienated, the disenfranchised, the hopeful but doubting public."

Stories, said Hall, have the capacity to reach people deeply.

"People hunger for honest storytelling," she said. "Jesus told stories because he understood their elasticity, their longevity, but also because he believed in feeding the poor. He understood that there are many ways to be poor and many different ways to starve. Stories feed us. For whatever reason, we see truth in them more acutely than anywhere else."

Mantegna told The Tidings he was proud to work on a "unique" show about a "functional family." Although the family has its trials, their commitment to one another is resolute. "At the end of the day, we're all still together and we're still trying to make a go of it," said Mantegna.

Two of Wyatt's "Father Knows Best" children were present to celebrate her honor. Billy Gray (Bud Anderson) called his TV mom "curious, witty, candid and caring." And Elinor Donahue (Betty "Princess" Anderson) said Wyatt served as her sponsor when she converted to Catholicism 11 years ago.

"My religion has always mattered a very great deal to me, so this is really an honor," said Wyatt, 94 who also raised two sons and was married to Egar Bethune Ward for 65 years.

She was also praised for her courage to protest House Un-American Activities Committee hearings in the 1940s, which resulted in her being blacklisted from the film industry.