CCHS Students are Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest Winners
Two students from Central Catholic were recently named winners of the Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest. Sophomore Rebecca Chowdhary and freshman Sahara McCallum were awarded certificates and a monetary prize for their essays that answered this question: Out of the 267 popes that have led the Catholic Church, who are your three favorite popes and why?
This annual essay contest encourages local students in grades 8 to 12 to be grounded in their faith and communities through creative writing, and it’s open to all qualifying Catholic students. The goal is to involve young Catholics in civic discourse and instill in them religious and life-affirming values. The essay is required to be 500-750 words on a specific topic, which changes every other year. Entrants are judged on grammar, style, and how clearly, they present the theme in a way that showcases creativity, imagination, and overall development of the topic.
“I wrote my essay about Pope John XXIII who was known as a radical saint because he opened up the windows at the Vatican Council and encouraged others to open windows in churches, and he brought about the changes at Mass when the priest started facing the congregation,” Rebecca said. “I also chose Pope John Paul II because he helped so many people and he worked with Mother Theresa, who I really admire, and Pope Gregory XV, who I learned about during my freshman theology class.”
“My choices were Pope John Paul II, Leo XIII, and Gregory V,” said Sahara. “We learn a lot about the popes in class at CCHS and how much they have helped the church and the world. I am impressed by the risks they take and the mark they leave on the church over the years.”
“We teach the history of the Church, including the legacy of the popes, to show the perseverance, consistency, and rich heritage of the Catholic Church,” said CCHS theology teacher, DJ White. “It is such a wonderful gift to watch our students grow in faith and have an interest in the steppingstones that helped shape the Church into the holy institution it is today!”
The Knights of Columbus is a multigenerational and international lay Catholic men’s organization founded by Blessed Michael McGivney in 1882. It is guided by the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, and it offers formation, mutual aid, and financial security to members.
