Each year Catholic Literary Arts is pleased to announce the outstanding students whose work earns them the distinction of being finalists in the Archdiocesan Middle School Sacred Poetry Contest.

Chosen from over a thousand entries, these poems display a high level of craftsmanship, a unique vision, and artistry with words.

It is a high honor to be chosen as a finalist in a literary contest.  Judges have spent hours carefully selecting these finalists. These writers, who are young in their careers, have used their skill with words to express their love of Our Savior Jesus Christ as The Divine Mercy. All of the finalists are to be congratulated and celebrated, as well as the other contestants who have reached high levels of artistry and vision of sacred truths.

The winners of first, second, third prizes and honorable mentions will be chosen from this extraordinary group of 2025 finalists.

Sixth Grade Finalists

• St. Anne Catholic School-Tomball: Stella Feldman, Avery Martinez-Roman, Dylan Nguyen, Haley O. Thomas, Valerie Bergmann, Hailey Bloom, Sidney Edmond, Dylan Reyes Coronel, Anthony d'Souza

• St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School: Emily Curtin,

• St. Francis de Sales Catholic School: Josslyn Leigh, Katherine Tse, Sofia Velasquez

• St. Michael Catholic School: Nicholas Nowak

• St. Theresa Catholic School-Sugar Land: Kalina Dementyev

• St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School: Madelyn Simpson

Seventh Grade Finalists

• Resurrection Catholic School: Gabriela Hernandez

• Sacred Heart Catholic School-Conroe: Ashley Erickson

• Christ the Redeemer Catholic School: Michael Muraski

• St. Ambrose Catholic School: Addisyn Ramirez

• St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School: Natalie Bartsch

• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School: Sara Mantilla

• St. Francis de Sales Catholic School: Victoria Dinh

• St. Laurence Catholic School: Daniel Garcia-Prats, Lila Lacy, Catherine Waldron

• St. Michael Catholic School: Victoria Marquez

• St. Theresa Catholic School-Sugar Land: Alice Harmon

• St. Thomas More Parish School: Cristiano Garcia, McKenna Mouton

• St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School: Sophia Pe, Ava Terwelp

Eighth Grade Finalists

• Christ the Redeemer Catholic School: Tiffany Morgado, Kylie Muldoon, William Sansbury

• St. Ambrose Catholic School: Mary Dykhuizen, Christopher Gonzalez, Caroline Kohl

• St. Anne Catholic School-Tomball: Kathryn McCollor

• St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School: Caroline Gonzalez-Alba

• St. Francis de Sales Catholic School: Mallory Kimble

• St. Laurence Catholic School: Luca Marino, Jonas Mendoza

• St. Martha Catholic School: Isabella Flores

• St. Theresa Catholic School-Sugar Land: Joshua Michalski

• St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School: Francesca Brioso, Mary Etta Maguire, Maxim Quintanilla