Madison Beier, a fourth-grader at St. Peter Chanel School in Paulia, LA, was the first place winner in last year's "Try Prayer! It works!" contest for her grade level. (screenshot from www.familyrosary.org)
Madison Beier, a fourth-grader at St. Peter Chanel School in Paulia, LA, was the first place winner in last year’s “Try Prayer! It works!” contest for her grade level. Entries for the 2015 contest are due Feb. 1. (screenshot from www.familyrosary.org)

Deadlines are looming for a few contests sponsored by Catholic apostolates.

Organizers for the World Meeting of Families is sponsoring a video contest that closes Jan. 24. It’s in honor of Catholic Schools Week, which kicks off Jan. 25, and invites students to share the importance of Catholic school communities.

All videos will be shared through the apostolate’s social media channels. The top three schools whose video has the most “likes” and “favorites” will have their video displayed throughout the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia this September. The winning schools and students will earn a few token prizes too.

Videos should take less than 60 seconds to share witness to “how Catholic school communities of faith, knowledge and service produce a family fully alive,” the website says.

Young Catholics have until Feb. 1 to enter two contests that invite them to express their faith through art and poetry. One of them also accepts prose.

The national “Try Prayer! It Works!” contest is sponsored by Family Rosary. It’s open to K-12 students willing to reflect on the theme, “Being about the work of my Father.” Their art, poetry or prose should focus on obedience and faithfulness.

The participants will reflect on and express how they listen to God and how they do the work that God calls them to do, thereby living out the Fifth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. Winners are per grade level with each of them and their sponsors earning cash.

The “Leaders of Tomorrow Art and Poetry Contest” is sponsored by Seton Catholic Preparatory in Chandler in honor of the campus’ 60th anniversary. It’s open to students in grades 6-8. Art pieces are to portray the theme of courage — acting morally in the face of fear. It’s a charism set forth by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

Poetry pieces should define, celebrate or evidence all four charisms of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. They are: courage, determination, faith and love. Winners in both categories receive cash and gift cards.

 

The final opportunity, isn’t a contest, per se nor has a deadline that’s easy to pinpoint, but the sooner you email a photo of yourself or someone you love living a joyful life, the better chance it will have of appearing in a montage to be shown at the Laugh4Hope event April 11. The second annual comedy fundraiser benefits two local pro-life healthcare centers.

Its marketing team is looking for photos celebrating things such as birthdays, holidays, milestones and even silly moments. Email it to Laugh4HopePictures@gmail.com.