Maryknoll announced the sponsorship of the 2007 Maryknoll Student Essay Contest for grades 6-12. Winners will receive nearly $3,000 in scholarship money, as well as coverage in “Maryknoll” magazine and on the Maryknoll Web site www.maryknoll.org/winners.
“With the announcement of World Youth Day 2008, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI called youth throughout the world to meet with him to be renewed and become the new missionaries for our world,” said Father Dennis Cleary, M.M., publisher of “Maryknoll” magazine. “He deeply desires to hear the ideas of this new generation of hope and mission transformation.
“The essay contest offers young people the opportunity to share their vision for a world wounded by violence and fear,” he said. “It also allows adults to hear the commitment of the next generation as they respond to the Holy Father’s call ‘to face the multiple serious challenges of our times,’ and become architects of the future.”
Essays should describe a situation in the world today or in one’s own life in which Jesus would say, “Put away your sword.” The text should explain what the author would do to follow Jesus’ command to promote peace instead of violence.
Prizes range from $150 to $1,000 and deadline for entries is Nov. 30. Winners will be notified by mid-February, 2008.
Instructions and a cover sheet are available at Maryknoll’s essay contest web page www.maryknoll.org/essay.