Art and essay contest for youth

Friday, Oct. 03, 2025

LAYTON — The Saint Carlo Acutis Apostolate in the Diocese of Salt Lake City is inviting all school-age children to participate in an arts contest to honor the newly canonized saint.

Youth from kindergarten to sixth grade may enter a poster contest, while youth in grades seven to 12 will compete in an essay contest. 

The poster, which must be original work, should reflect the theme of Saint Carlo Acutis, his accomplishments or his attributes. Any medium is acceptable, but if pastel, chalk or charcoal is used, the poster must be laminated or covered in plastic.

For the essay contest, entries should be between 250 and 500 words in length. They must be an original work, typed double spaced, and must include testimony of the lasting impact of Saint Carlo Acutis on the participant as well as how he inspires the writer to live out in their faith. 

The first-place prize in each category will be $50 and a rosary; the second-place prize will be $25 and a rosary. The winners will be announced at the 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Masses on Oct. 12 at Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Layton.

All entries, which may be in either English or Spanish, must be submitted by Oct. 5 to kmendoza@stroseut.org. 

Saint Carlo Acutis was an amateur computer programmer who is best known for creating a website on which he documented Eucharistic miracles around the world before his death at the age of 15 from leukemia. He was noted for his cheerfulness and his deep devotion to the Eucharist, which was a core theme of his life. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 7, and is the first millennial saint.

The Apostolate decided to do the contest because “we want to evangelize,” said Father Gustavo Vidal, pastor of Saint Rose of Lima Parish and director of the Saint Carlo Acutis Apostolate, a diocesan youth outreach program that has the mission of promoting the Catholic faith and inspiring young people through the example of St. Carlo Acutis and his love for the Eucharist.

The contest also is meant to help youth realize through their writing and artwork, “through investing their creativity to realize who [St. Acutis] was,” Fr. Vidal added. “We want to present him as a role model to sainthood for all these youth.”

Today more than ever youth need to get closer to God because “unfortunately our youth are getting involved with a variety of things such as drugs, depression. … They feel abandoned, that their lives have no sense,” Fr. Vidal said. 

Some of the youth “do not have parents who are present; in school they are pressured by their peers,” he said. “St. Carlo Acutis lived all that through his life, but he decided to follow Jesus, to love Jesus, to dedicate his time to him. He fell in love with the Eucharist. … What a beautiful example.”

The community is invited to attend the Masses at St. Rose of Lima Parish on Oct. 12, which is the feast of Saint Carlo Acutis. On that day the parish will have a display of  Eucharistic miracles documented by the saint, and “we will have the opportunity to learn from a millennial how to get closer to God, to always be closer to Jesus,” Fr. Vidal said.

WHAT: Saint Carlo Acutis contest

WHEN: Deadline Oct. 5

For information or for submissions, email hmendoza@stroseut.org or call 801-544-4269 ext. 308.

Winners will be announced Oct. 12, the feast day of St. Carlo Acutis, during the Masses at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 210 Chapel St., Layton. After the Masses, those attending will be invited to the parish social center to learn more about the saint.