The Marian Essay Contest was established by a donor to provide students with the opportunity to deepen their devotion to the Blessed Mother and better understand their own role as disciples and stewards of God’s grace. The author of the winning essay will receive a $1,000 scholarship award which can be used for Catholic school tuition, domestic mission trips, San Pedro retreats and/or to donate to the diocesan parish, school or ministry of their choice! An award will also be given to the top 7/8th grade essay and 5/6th grade essay as chosen from the remaining entries.
Who can enter the contest?
Any incoming or outgoing middle school student enrolled in a Diocese of Orlando Catholic school, parish faith formation, religious education, youth ministry or other catechetical formation program during the 2024-25 academic year.
Requirements
- A 400-500 word essay on this year’s theme: Mary, a Pilgrim of Hope – Mary trusted God, even when it was hard, and never lost hope, even when her Son was crucified. Can you think of a time when you had to trust God during a difficult situation? How did your faith help you stay hopeful, and how can you be a witness of hope to others?
- Formatted: Times New Roman, 12 point font, double spaced, standard margins.
Download
Marian Essay Contest Entry Form
- The Entry Form and Essay must be submitted to Lisa Oliveras by 5:00 PM on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
Reflect on the theme:
Mary, a Pilgrim of Hope
Mary trusted God, even when it was hard, and never lost hope, even when her Son was crucified. Can you think of a time when you had to trust God during a difficult situation? How did your faith help you stay hopeful, and how can you be a witness of hope to others?
Marian Essay Contest entries go through 3 stages of reviewing:
Preliminary: Does the entry meet the basic requirements and was it relatively free of major errors.
Review Committee: The Catholic Foundation engages a diverse group of panelists representing many perspectives of our faith family, including clergy, religious, and Catholic lay leaders to serve on the Marian Essay Contest Review Committee. Each entry is scored by two of our review committee members.
Finalist: The top two entries from each group are then ranked and reviewed to determine the winners and honorable mentions.
More information
The Marian Contest is administered through an Endowment Fund at The Catholic Foundation of Central Florida in conjunction with the Secretariat of Education and Secretariat of Laity, Family and Life.
If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Oliveras at (407) 246-7177