By Catholic Review staff
Hannah Shaffrey, a seventh-grader at The Sacred Heart School of Glyndon, succinctly summed up her experience at the pre-K-8 school.
“Eight years, eight grades, one journey to find Christ.”
The opening words to her essay, as well as the rest of it, caught the attention of Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, who judged the first annual Sacred Heart Middle School Essay Contest, and awarded Hannah first prize.
She visited the Catholic Center March 18 to receive her award and meet the archbishop, as well as the Baltimore Ravens’ mascot, Poe.
At Sacred Heart, Hannah wrote, she sees Christ in every person.
“From welcoming me with a big ‘Good morning!’ or simply holding the door for me, I know that it is Christ working through them,” she wrote. “When you walk through the hallways, you’ll see people talking, teachers inspiring, friends joking, and love being shared.”
Hannah’s essay also touched on the school’s many service projects. Hannah especially enjoyed the Thanksgiving project, through which students made place mats, goodie bags and meals for the less fortunate.
“This project teaches us to think about others who may not have as much as we do during the holiday season,” she wrote.
Uncharacteristically for a seventh grader, Hannah even expressed her appreciation for the Catholic school uniform, which “teaches us that we are all equal and shouldn’t be treated differently because of what we wear.”
“At Sacred Heart, I not only learn to love, but love to learn and can’t wait to continue on my journey to find Christ,” she concluded.
The pre-K-8 parish school hopes to hold the essay contest on an annual basis moving forward.
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