The Diocese of Wilmington’s Vocations Guild has released the names of the winners of the organization’s tenth annual Vocations Drawing Contest. During Vocations Awareness Week in November 2015; first, second, third and fourth grade students from Catholic schools and religious education programs throughout Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore were invited to draw pictures of various aspects of religious and priestly ministry. Teachers were asked to display the drawings in their schools and submit the very best drawings to the Diocesan Vocations Guild for judging. This year’s contest garnered a record number of entries from seventeen Catholic schools and parish religious education programs.
First graders were asked to answer the following question in their drawing: “What does a priest, sister, brother or deacon do?” The winning drawings were made by Madisyn Addalli, a first-grader at Saint Joseph’s religious education program in Middletown, Delaware, and Riley Craig, a first-grader at Holy Angels School in Newark, Delaware.
Second grade students were asked to create drawings on the topic: “What is something a priest does besides celebrating Mass?” Rebecca Mosier, a student at Saint John the Beloved School in Wilmington, and Emilia Iriarte, from Holy Cross CCD in Dover, Delaware, made the winning drawings in the second grade category.
Third graders were asked to draw a picture on the topic: “How has a priest, sister, brother or deacon helped you?” Claire Moreno from St. Francis de Sales religious education program in Salisbury, Maryland, and Avery Pilger from Holy Angels School, created the winning picture.
The fourth grade topic was; “How would you see yourself as a priest, sister, brother or deacon?” The fourth grade winning artists are Hanna Lee Webster from Saints Peter and Paul School in Easton, Maryland, and Aidan Williams, a student in the religious education program at Saint Francis de Sales.
“The goal of the contest is to get children thinking about vocations to the priesthood, religious life and diaconate at an early age,” said Mr. Francis Woerner, President of the Diocesan Vocations Guild. “We thank our pastors, principals, directors of religious education, teachers and catechists for the tremendous level of participation in this year’s contest.”
In addition to schools and religious education programs mentioned above, the following schools and/or parish religious education programs participated: St. Ann in Wilmington, Good Shepherd in Perryville, St. Anthony of Padua in Wilmington, Mount Aviat Academy in Childs, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Bear, St. Mary Magdalen in Wilmington, Immaculate Heart of Mary in Wilmington, St. Mary Refuge of Sinners in Cambridge, St. Peter the Apostle in New Castle, and Sacred Heart in Chestertown.
The Diocesan Vocations Guild was formed in 2011 with the merger of the Diocesan Vocations Prayer Guild (formerly known as the Diocesan Mothers’ Guild) and the Diocese of Wilmington Serra Club In-formation. This is the tenth year for the Vocations Drawing Contest.
The Diocesan Vocations Guild is open to Catholics from within or with ties to the Diocese of Wilmington who pray for, encourage and support the bishop, priests, religious and seminarians of the diocese. The objectives of the Guild are achieved through prayer, service and the affirmation of the importance of the priesthood and the religious life to the mission of the diocese. Members strive to respond to the Church’s “universal call to holiness” as they pray for an increase in priestly and religious vocations and the success of priestly and religious ministry in the diocese and throughout the world.
There are two types of membership: Active and Auxiliary. Active members are involved in many aspects of the Guild’s work. Auxiliary members support the mission of the Guild through prayer and any other way they are able. Membership applications and more information are available by contacting Ms. Mary Ann Peirson at 302-573-3113 or mpeirson@cdow.org, and on the web at www.cdow.org/dvg.
