Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest
Encourage youth to become citizens grounded in their faith through creative writing. Open to all qualifying Catholic students.
Overview
This contest encourages today’s youth to be more connected to their community and their faith. The goal of this program is to involve young Catholics in grades 8 to 12 (public, private, parochial or home schools during the current school year) in civic discourse and instill in them religious and life-affirming values. The essay should be 500-750 words on a specific topic, changing every other year. Entrants will be judged on grammar, style, and how clearly they present the theme in a way that showcases creativity, imagination and overall development of the topic.
2026-2027 Essay Topic:
“The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”
In 500-750 words, explain what this quote from former U.S. President and Knights of Columbus member John F. Kennedy’s 1961 Inaugural address means and its importance for the flourishing of a nation.
Submission Deadline: Friday, October 9th, 2026
In Biblical times, the only way to “carry” good news was to bring it physically, walking from one place to another. Technological advances, however, have opened up numerous additional communication channels, all of which we can use to amplify the rate at which we spread the Word. – Romans 10:14-15