The Catholic Education Foundation has selected the winners of its annual Catholic Schools Week poster and essay contests.
This year’s theme was: “Listen. Teach. Send. Fostering a Faithful Community.”
Participants included students in kindergarten through high school.
Entrants in the essay contest, open to high school students, were asked to consider the prompt: “God created us to live in community and serve each other’s needs so we might grow in holiness. How do you model your life after Christ and foster a community of faith in your school?”
Colin Wheatley, a sophomore at DeSales High School, won the essay contest. He received a $1,000 cash prize.
In the poster contest, entrants in kindergarten through eighth grade were asked to illustrate:
We are examples of Jesus when we listen and care for those in our school community. How do I model Jesus’ teachings in my community?
The winners of the poster contest received a $250 cash prize.
Winners of the poster contest, listed by division, are:
- Kindergarten through second-grade division — Madison Bongen, second grade, St. Michael School.
- Third through fifth-grade division — Lillian Goessling, fifth grade, St. Michael.
- Sixth through eighth-grade division — Xavier Norris, eighth grade, St. Athanasius School.
Mission of Christ
In my community, I foster faith by showing others what my faith has personally given me. I live my life by Jesus’ example every day, and by doing so, can show others how faith has changed me and how it can change them if they open themselves up to it. Whether it be a school project or an average day, I lead by example. I show and encourage integrity, respect, and kindness through my everyday actions, as well as an inclusive environment where everyone has a voice and their ideas are heard.
In the past, present, and I guarantee the future, I have always and will continue to perform acts of kindness without much thought towards the negative consequences. Even if this causes a situation to end unfavorably for me, if it helps just one person I will think of it as a positive. l will never change this way of action because of the trait it gives me: the ability to be bold. Jesus was a man who was outside of the societal norm. Instead of shying away from lepers, He instead embraced them and treated them as humans. He knew that he himself might be infected, but He never let that fact stop him from taking care of them. He treated sinners without a trace of contempt, just as He would treat his neighbors. This meant that some people stuck with Jesus and worshiped him at his feet, while others persecuted him and eventually crucified him. Even if Jesus knew of the consequences that his actions might cause, He decided to do what was right. The boldness that I have obtained from the way I have lived gives me the opportunity to live by Christ’s teachings and call others to as well, something more important to me than anything.
Jesus’ inclusivity was something of a miracle in and of itself. It was a form of true kindness that
not just anyone is able to practice in their life. He included his neighbors, enemies, the sick, the disabled, and anyone else who followed him. Jesus recognized how important the aspect of including others was and acted it out, something that many struggle with. Just including a single person may help them to realize their worth and how they were made in the image of God. I realize that Jesus calls everyone to his table, and as a follower of Christ, I feel that I should enact the same inclusivity that He showed his people. In life, everyone has a purpose no matter how small, and the same holds true for something as tiny as a group science project. I am able to see this and guarantee that everyone around me is able to show their purpose instead of just having one.
At DeSales, themes such as respect and integrity are heavily emphasized. Through God, integrity has been made easier for me to display to my peers because of His might. God sees everything at all times, and there is no way to hide what you are doing whether it be good or bad. 1 realize this and try to please God with every action I do in life. There have been so many times I have fallen to where I have lost track, but just knowing that God will forever be there to help me stand again is more than enough motivation for me to keep on trying. I believe that through display and goodwill, others around me will also be more inclined to do the same. Even the slightest act of kindness can have a revolutionary effect.
Everyone’s journey with God is unique. However, what I believe is most important in everyone’s journey is that it’s not only with God, but with the people around them. Not only can supp01i be found, but the influence that they may have on those around them could inspire them to start a journey of their own. Through my walk with God and my faith community, I have been able to lead by example by taking action, including everyone around me, and living as Christ would. Just as Paul says in Philippians 4: 13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
