Serra Club selects winners of Creativity Contest
By RENEE WEBB, Globe associate editor
(Photos of K-6 winners are here)
Posted April 18, 2002

Thousands of grade school students in the Diocese of Sioux City created clever drawings, logos and essays promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life for the annual Vocations Creativity Contest.

Organizers estimate that about 3,500 students participated in the contest, which is sponsored by Serra Club of Siouxland and the Vocations Office. Winners of the contest were recently announced. A judging committee selected first through third place in every grade, kindergarten to eighth.

"The Vocations Creativity Contest hopes to stimulate the imagination of young people and increase awareness of the possibilities of service within the Catholic Church with vocations to the priesthood and religious life," said Sharri Fitzpatrick, vice president of communications for Serra.

Nancy Miller, a Serran and judge of the contest, said the event also gave the students a chance to reflect on the gifts and services offered by the priests, women religious and deacons.

Materials for the contest were sent to all parish religious education programs and Catholic schools last fall. Every grade received an age appropriate assignment such as designing a T-shirt logo or writing a youth prayer. The schools and parishes decided whether they would participate in the contest.

According to Lynne Paulsen, secretary for both the Serra Club and Vocations Office, this year 23 Catholic schools and 24 parish religious education programs took part in the contest.

All entries were first judged at the local level. Schools and parishes selected the best entry from each class and then submitted them for the diocesan level phase of the competition. A judging committee consisting of Serrans chose the winners.

"I loved the sweetness of the entries submitted by the young students and the depth of the entries by the older students was amazing," said Miller.

Fitzpatrick noted that every year they are impressed by the quality of the work.

"The judges have a very difficult time with so many excellent entries," she said. "Winners come from all over the diocese and both Catholic schools and religious education programs."

Many of the parishes and schools opted to work on the contest entries during Vocations Awareness Week, Jan. 13-18.

First place winners along with their parents and siblings will be recognized on May 18 with Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany, followed by dinner in the parish hall attended by the bishop. They also receive a cash prize of $30.

Second place winners received $20 and a congratulatory letter. Third place winners received $10 and a congratulatory letter.

Each class will receive a certificate of participation.

In addition to the Creativity Contest, Serra Club of Siouxland sponsors a variety of activities to promote and affirm vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For example, the group sponsors a steak fry and golf outing for priests, deacons and seminarians as well as a dinner for women religious. The club also organizes various prayer projects such as the 31 Club.

(Photos of K-6 winners are here)