Before this year’s Ministry Fair was cancelled due to the pandemic, the Office of Development held a contest for 4th and 5th grade students, requiring the submission of an essay entitled, “The Work of Christ Being Done Around Me.” We were so thrilled to receive many excellent essays. The first-place winner, Aedin DiGiacomo, a 5th grader at Saint Patrick Cathedral School, wrote the following:

The Work of Christ Being Done Around Me
By Aedin DiGiacomo

Students in my school are doing kind things and bringing in food from their homes to people who are poor and in need of food. Students in our school bring money in to dress down. They do it because they care about others so they are not lonely on holidays, and one day they can get food, a job, and a home so that they can have a happier life. One place we bring our soup is the Saint Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen. The teachers love when we all do kind things, so people have a good meal. 

One other thing is the Haiti Bike Ride, people ride and raise money for people who need food and a home. On Fridays, Father Tony brings in pizza he buys for us. And some of our money we bring in goes to Australia and to Puerto Rico because of the fires and the animals getting hurt because of the dry land in Australia. 

One year the 8th graders made sandwiches for people who are unfortunate and do not have enough food. In my school we have Mass and religion, both help us learn about God and Jesus. 

Our teachers are so kind, and they help people in our school by teaching us all the ways God has been kind to people and they want us to be nice to others like God has been nice to us. I think our school is great because the teachers, students and the priest make us feel good about ourselves, if we have an off day and people are getting bullied. I am so happy to be a part of this amazing school.

Congratulations to second-place winner Leonard Gjonbalaj and third-place winner Lucy Pollack, both of Saint Patrick Cathedral School, and a special honorable mention to Jeena Ann Kidambi of Saint James School for her wonderful essay. Thank you to all who participated in our contest and we hope to see you next year at the Ministry Fair. 

By Gina Foster