A year 4 Melbourne Catholic school student has had his illustration published in a book and presented to Pope Francis. Source: Catholic Mission.
Last year, students across Australia participated in a drawing contest to mark the 180th anniversary of the Society of the Holy Childhood, a historically constituent branch of Catholic Mission. The contest challenged students to express through their artwork how Pope Francis inspires children to help others.
Peter, a student at Galilee Regional Catholic Primary School in South Melbourne, made the cut as Australia’s winning entry out of more than 200 submissions.
Peter’s winning illustration uses bubbles to depict the concepts of “Hope, Teach, and Charity”, representing Pope Francis’s dynamic and inspirational approach towards encouraging children to take action and help other children. It was shortlisted among ten finalists and selected as the national winner by Catholic Mission national direct Fr Brian Lucas.
The book featuring Peter’s illustration includes a compilation of selected entries from children across the globe. It was presented to the Pope in a celebration of the society’s milestone anniversary. The entries were predominantly centred around themes of care for creation and the “common home”, reflecting Pope Francis and his Laudato Si’ teachings.
“I am amazed to look at the creativity shown by the children and their personal understanding of what the Church is and how Pope Francis inspires them,” Fr Lucas said. “This book is such an inspiration and a source of hope, with numerous drawings reflecting key concepts of Catholic Social Teaching.”
Integrated into Catholic Mission’s school community engagement initiative, Socktober, the competition was useful in helping children learn about the importance of supporting others, while showcasing their talents.
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From South Melbourne Classroom to Papal Approval Young Aussie Student’s Art Lands in Vatican (Catholic Mission)
