Purpose: To inspire students in homeschool programs and independent Catholic schools to write about spiritual topics, increase writing skills, and increase writing confidence.

Eligibility: Only open to students enrolled in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade in a homeschool program school or independent Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Click here to view independent Catholic schools eligible for this contest.

2025 Poem Prompt: Write about the Divine Mercy.

• Click here to read about the history of the Divine Mercy and Devotion.

Format: One Word document.

Length: Maximum of 32 lines (title and stanza breaks do not count). All forms and free-verse are accepted.

Formatting: Typed in Times New Roman or Arial, font size 12. No handwritten submissions.

Anonymity: Student names should not appear on the poem but must be included in the submission form.

Required Details: Include the student’s school, grade, and a unique title for the poem in the top left corner of the page.

Batch Submission: If submitting a batch submission, upload ONE document of all students in the same grade level. (The 6th Grade Batch Submission Document should only have 6th Grade entries)

• Here is an example of how to format a Word document.

Disqualification: Plagiarism is a serious offense and will result in disqualification from the contest and other possible consequences.

Originality: The poem must be original, not created by AI technology or copied from another source, unpublished in print, unpublished on the web or in limited edition books.

Anti-Plagiarism Lesson Plan: To assist students in understanding the definition of plagiarism and its seriousness, we offer this downloadable lesson plan.

Anti-Plagiarism Declaration: Each student submitting a poem must sign an affirmative declaration that his or her writing is unique, original work. Teachers will keep the statements in their files for one year.

Cost: $55 per participating school, or $10 per individual homeschool student.

Payment: Check with your school principal or instructional specialist to confirm if the fee has been paid. If the student is not enrolled in an independent Catholic school, then the entry fee per student is $10.

Open Dates: December 1, 2024 – March 1, 2025 (11:59 pm CST).

Method: Submit poems via Submittable or through a teacher’s batch submission.

Finalists: The preliminary round judges will select the finalists, who will be announced on the Catholic Literary Arts website by March 11, 2025.

Winners: From the pool of finalists, the final round judges will choose the winners, to be announced on the Catholic Literary Arts website by March 19, 2025.

Eligibility for Poet Laureate: Only first-place winners from each grade are considered.

Poet Laureate:

• $500 cash prize.

  1. Note: The poet laureate must complete IRS Form W-9 before receiving the prize.

• Published in the Catholic Literary Arts Anthology.

• Full-tuition scholarship to the Fearless Catholic Summer Writing Camp (June 9-13, 2025).

First, Second, and Third Place:

• Published in the Catholic Literary Arts Anthology.

• Full-tuition scholarship to the Fearless Catholic Summer Writing Camp (June 9-13, 2025).

Honorable Mentions:

• Published in the Catholic Literary Arts Anthology.

• Partial scholarship to the Fearless Catholic Summer Writing Camp (June 9-13, 2025).

Finalists:

• Published in the Catholic Literary Arts Anthology.

Winners will be invited to read their entries at the Awards Ceremony in person with their families, friends, school principals, and submitting teachers. The Awards Ceremony will take place in April 2025 and details will be shared at a later date.