Three Charities Receive Saintly Donations from IWA Middle Level

Three charitable organizations will receive donations from Incarnate Word Academy Middle Level students from money earned in a contest celebrating modern saints. The idea for the contest came about to as part of the events to commemorate Catholic School’s Week. 
 
This year’s theme celebrated “Faith, Academics and Service,” in Catholic school, each component was represented in the contest.  
 
“Each ninth period class was given the name of a modern saint which was randomly chosen,” Sister Agueda Oviedo, IWBS, Middle Level Campus Ministries said. “Students were required to research and learn about their chosen saint, and decorate a class bulletin board, wall space, door or window. We saw this as an opportunity for students to learn about more recent saints who were canonized by either Blessed John Paul II or Pope Benedict XVI.” 
 
Each grade competed with classes in their respective levels, with first place winners in each grade earning a $50 prize to donate to the charity of their choice.
 
The theme focused on three priorities— Faith, Academics and Service—that Catholic schools establish that make them stand out from other educational institutions. Children are taught faith–not just the basics of Christianity, but also how to have a relationship with God. Academics, which in Catholic schools are held to very high standards, help each child reach his or her potential. Service, the giving of one’s time and effort to help others, is taught both as an expression of faith and good citizenship.
 
Marina Anderson’s seventh grade Spanish class worked on a depiction of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, who was canonized by Pope John Paul II. 
 
“I knew about Juan Diego before the contest but we learned many more details about his life,” Lorin Rodriguez said. She and classmate Franceska Alvarado employed their artistic abilities by including paintings of Our Lady of Guadalupe and of Juan Diego on the class’s display board.
 
The winning entries and their chosen charities were the following:
     

• Sixth Grade - Saint Mary of the Cross also known as Mary Helen MacKillop from Australia/Charity: Peewee’s Animals Shelter
• Seventh Grade - Saint Josephine Bakhit /Charity: The Ark
• Eighth Grade - Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes/Charity: St. Jude’s

The contest judges were Incarnate Word Sisters Lou Ella Hickman, Marian Bradley and Agueda Oviedo. Entries were evaluated by ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­the following criteria visual impact and students’ work; construction and craftsmanship; and completeness, creativity, and originality.  As much as four points were awarded to each category with a minimum of one point per category.

IWBS Sisters walked the Middle Level campus to view each display of the saints’ lives as interpreted by the students. 

“The displays are very beautiful and creative, and I have learned a few new things about several of the saints.” Sister Marion, who has an artistic background, said.

Sister Lou Ella, who has studied the lives of saints, said, “Learning about saints is not just for November first.”