2023 Summer Break Essay Contest

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The Knights of Columbus Council #6138 sponsors the Essay Contest to encourage Our Lady of the Greenwood parishioners beginning 9th through 12th grade to be more connected to their community and their faith. Winners will receive a scholarship award to Roncalli High School, the interparochial archdiocesan Catholic high school that serves the southside of Indianapolis.

The goal of the Msgr. Bernard P. Sheridan Council Essay Contest is to help students discover the importance of the principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism in their lives and to aid students in their pursuit of a quality Catholic secondary education. 

The essay should be approximately 500 to 750 words. Entrants will be judged on grammar, style and how clearly they present the theme—which should showcase creativity, imagination and overall development of the topic. All contestants will be recognized for their participation in the contest. Participants are required to furnish written parental consent.

Awards

The grand prize winner will receive $1,000 in scholarship funds to Roncalli High School. Two runners-up will each receive $500 in scholarship funds to Roncalli High School.

Essay themes

Msgr. Bernard P. Sheridan Council #6138 in Greenwood is one of 17,000 Knights of Columbus councils that make up the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in 1882 to assist working-class and immigrant Catholics in the United States, today the approximately two million members of the Knights put their faith into action through a broad range of charitable causes locally, nationally and internationally with financial contributions and hands-on service.

All the good works that Knights of Columbus members do are informed by our four core principles: Charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.

• Charity. Our Catholic faith teaches us to “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Knights recognize that our mission, and our faith in God, compels us to action. There is no better way to experience love and compassion than by helping those in need, a call we answer every day.
• Unity. Knights know that together we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually. That doesn’t mean that there is never a difference of opinion. It does mean that we support each other in order to make life better in our parish and community.
• Fraternity. This means brotherhood. Blessed Fr. Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus to provide assistance to the widows and children left behind when the family breadwinner died. The people in our parish and community are our brothers and sisters.
• Patriotism. Knights are patriotic citizens. We are proud of our devotion to God and country, and believe in standing up for both. Whether it’s in public or private, we remind the world that Catholics support their nations and are amongst the greatest citizens.

Please choose one of these four principles as the subject of your essay. Ask yourself the following questions: What does this principle mean to me? How can I put this principle into effect in my own life? Which person, either a public figure or someone whom I know personally, best exemplifies this principle to me? What can I do to encourage others to live out this principle in our community?

Eligibility

The 2023 Msgr. Bernard P. Sheridan Council Summer Break Essay Contest is open to all students whose families are registered Our Lady of the Greenwood parishioners and who are planning to attend Roncalli High School in the 2023-24 school year.

Contest

The Msgr. Bernard P. Sheridan Council Summer Break Essay Contest is sponsored by Knights of Columbus Council #6138. The official responsible for the contest is the Faith in Action Family Director. The Family Director collects finished essays from participants. They are judged according to the criteria in the “Judging” section. There will be a first place and two runner-up winners. The Family Director will then contact each winner and present the awards at an appropriate time and place. Any questions about this program should be directed to:

Alan Inkenbrandt, Faith in Action Family Committee Chairman

alinken@gmail.com, (317) 246-9774

Guidelines and rules

• Essays must reflect the assigned theme and be the student’s original work.
• Essays must be typed and be between 500 and 750 words in length.
• The student’s name should appear only on the official Essay Contest entry form. A scan of the filled-out entry form must accompany all emailed entries.
• All entries become the property of the Knights of Columbus Council #6138 and will not be returned.
• Entries are due August 13, 2023. Electronic entries must be emailed to council6138@gmail.com (subject line: Essay contest). 

Judging

Judges (three or more) will be selected by Knights of Columbus Council #6138. Council members, teachers, clergy and/or members of the community may serve as judges. Anyone whose family member has submitted an entry may not serve as a judge. All scores should be recorded on the entry form/score sheet. Essays will be judged on a 100-point scoring system:

• 35 points: Content. How clearly is the theme presented?
• 30 points: Grammar. Does the essay reflect proper sentence and paragraph structure and utilize correct spelling?
• 35 points: Style. Does the essay show creativity, imagination and development of the topic in a compelling style?