2007 SENIOR BISHOP’S MEDAL ESSAY COMPETITION
Not long after my arrival in the diocese, various people and committees – notably the Cashel and Ossory Board of Religious Education – suggested to me that the existing schemes of Bishop’s Medals in the diocese provided few opportunities for older participants.
With the help of a number of people, most notably Canon Patrick Harvey to whom much thanks are due, we decided to hold an essay competition which would involve no advance preparation (Leaving Certificate pupils are horribly busy these days) but which would test both a pupil’s general flair and also their knowledge of current events in church and society.
The competition was open to all fifth and sixth year pupils in schools in the diocese – I preferred that there should be no denominational constraints. The titles were set by myself, and I found reading the essays extraordinarily interesting and illuminating. They were a real window on the intelligence and preoccupations of today’s Senior Cycle students, and some were written with quite amazing fluency and insight.
The competition was held in Kilkenny on 18th April and participants were given 75 minutes to write an essay on one of six subjects, of which they had no advance notice. The actual titles might be of interest to readers, and I found it encouraging that there was no subject offered that was not selected by at least one candidate.
- What might be the distinctively Christian contribution to Europe fifty years after the Treaty of Rome? (NB This Treaty was the origin of what has become known as the European Union)
- Identify a prominent figure in Christian history whose career and convictions inspire you and write of why she/he is significant for you.
- What, if any, should be the place of Christian worship and Religious Education in our schools?
- What would you understand by the phrase ‘Christian citizenship’?
- Weary of sermons by others? Select a Biblical narrative or passage of your choice and write your own sermon on it, taking into account both the text itself and the proposed audience. (Bibles were available for this essay)
- Evaluate the likely state, condition and organisation of religion in Ireland on the occasion of your 40th birthday
The standard of the essayists was encouragingly high, and prizes have been awarded as follows –
Bishop’s Medallist and winner of €200 - Sam Matthews (Kilkenny College)
Joint runners – up and winners of €100 each - Patrick Fawcett (Tullow Community School) and Kate Rothwell (Kilkenny College)
What has been most encouraging about this competition has been the level of maturity and wisdom displayed by younger members of the diocese in engaging with challenging and important topics. This must surely have a significant ripple effect in terms of conversations around the homes and schools of the South East. I trust that in the years ahead the momentum behind and participation in this competition will continue to grow. The younger generation have much to teach the rest of us when it comes to a capacity (slightly paraphrasing 1 Peter 3.15) ‘to give an answer to everyone that asks of them a reason for the hope that is in them’.
M. C&O.
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