In advance of the nation’s milestone anniversary on July 4, the Paulist Fathers held an America 250 Essay Contest for seventh- and eighth-grade Catholic school students.
The entrants were asked to answer the following question: “How does your Catholic faith shape the way you live in the United States, and how does living in the United States shape the way you practice your Catholic faith?”
The winner of the contest is Evan Sarrat of St. Austin School in Austin, Texas, and the runner-up is Shiny Isezerano of St. Joseph School in Knoxville.
Shiny’s essay illustrated the struggle and pain of the immigrant experience in America today through her own experience as a member of an immigrant family. She emphasized how Catholic Social Teaching guides us to engage with people who are different from us by beginning with compassionate listening. She maintained a hopeful attitude about how her Catholic faith can inform and support her in being a better American.
In addition to the above, students were encouraged to respond to one or more of the following: What do you think (Paulist founder) Father Isaac Hecker meant by saying his faith made him a better American? Are there times when being Catholic in America feels challenging? Why? What does the Catholic teaching about the dignity of every person have to do with American ideals like “all are created equal”? How can young Catholics help reduce division and build unity in our country? What are the challenges in our country today that our Catholic faith can help us to respond to?
Evan won $250 and Shiny won $100 for their essays.
The Paulists’ America 250 committee included Father Ron Franco, CSP, former pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish in downtown Knoxville.