State Pro-Life Essay Winners Named

October 21, 2011

One of the most encouraging and effective assets of the pro-life movement is the next generation of Americans coming into adulthood. Several years ago, in a study of those who are now between the ages of 18 to 33 (so called Millennials, Gen Y or Echo Boomers), it was revealed that this generation strongly opposes abortion.

Our nation is seeing this belief among young people demonstrated in a variety of youth-led pro-life organizations such as Live Action (led by Lila Rose), Students for Life of America, Generation Life and Generations for Life. The commitment, enthusiasm and ingenuity of this generation to promote the dignity of human life and to oppose abortion and other attacks against this dignity are truly impressive.

Last Saturday, at the Bishops’ Pro Life Conference banquet, the pro-life conviction of young people was also on display. The banquet program included presentation of the State Pro-Life Essay Contest awards and reading of the essays by the winners.

In January each year, the pro-life directors in the three dioceses of Nebraska sponsor a pro-life essay contest for students in grades 7 through 11. The winners of each diocesan contest automatically compete in the state essay contest, sponsored by the State Council of the Knights of Columbus and my office, the State Office of the Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro Life Activities.

The theme for this contest, and the winning essays for the state contest, are chosen by the State Coordinating Committee of the Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro Life Activities, which is comprised of the diocesan pro-life directors, the pro-life chair couple for the Knights of Columbus, diocesan representatives for the Council of Catholic Women and directors of the diocesan Family Life offices.

The theme chosen for this year’s essay contest was the following: Mother Teresa said "How can there be too many children? That’s like saying there are too many flowers." Various national and international groups say that the world is overpopulated. Make a persuasive case as to why this is not the case.

The winners of this year’s state essay contest are:

7^th Grade: Emily Kimball from St. Boniface Parish in Callaway

8^th Grade: Tina Le from St. Mary School and Parish in Lincoln

9^th Grade: James Hytrek from St. James Parish in Cortland

10^th Grade: Alyssa Hurd from Lourdes Central Catholic School and St. Benedict Parish in Nebraska City

11^th Grade: Marie Wathen, from Pius X High School and St. Peter Parish in Lincoln

On behalf of the Bishops of Nebraska and the entire Church, I congratulate these fine young people for their exceptional essays and enthusiasm for the pro-life cause.

At World Youth Day in Denver (1993), Pope John Paul II challenged young people to "Offer your youthful energies to building a civilization of Christian love. Be witness of God’s love for the innocent and the weak, for the poor and oppressed."

"At this stage of history," he continued, "the liberating message of the Gospel of life has been put into your hands. And the mission of proclaiming it to the ends of the earth is now passing to your generation. Like the great apostle Paul, you too must feel the full urgency of the task: "Woe to me if I do not evangelize" (1 Cor. 9:16). Woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life.

"The church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your youthful ideals, in order to make the Gospel of life penetrate the fabric of society, transforming people’s hearts and the structures of society in order to create a civilization of true justice and love. Now more than ever, in a world that is often without light and without the courage of noble ideals, people need the fresh, vital spirituality of the Gospel."

Blessed John Paul expressed his confidence in young people’s "faith in Christ" and ability to rise to this challenge by recalling the words of St. Paul: "I have great confidence in you, I have great pride in you; I am filled with encouragement, I am overflowing with joy" (2 Cor. 7:4).