Since All Saints Day was celebrated on Nov 1, for the November Junior Saints, students were invited to draw a picture of their favorite saint and write about what they admire about that saint.
St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“I admire St. Agnes’ devotion to God and how she stayed loyal to Him, even though many men wanted her hand in marriage.” – Audrey Liao, eighth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill, Maryland
“St. Michael is an archangel who protects us from Satan. We say his prayer every time we go to Mass.” – Artwork and writing by Leena Gonzales, sixth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“I chose St. Laura because my grandma’s name is Laura, and St. Laura’s feast day is on Oct. 19, the same day as my birthday.” – Artwork and writing by Elysia Proctor, sixth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“St. Bernadette was a fearless girl when she was younger. She saw a beautiful lady at the Grotto (Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes), and no one believed her. St. Bernadette did everything the lady said…” – Artwork and writing by Maya Hipolito, seventh grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“St. Dymphna is the patron saint of people struggling with mental illness, domestic abuse victims and runaways. Her miracles consist of curing the emotional and mental pain of those affected. I find her inspiring… St. Dymphna helps provide perseverance for those struggling mentally.” – Artwork and writing by Nicaeya Florentino, eighth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“St. Joan of Arc is a very important saint to me. She inspires fight and resilience to all people, and she is an example of hope and power that I constantly look to. Her strong will and just her name to me means change, because not only was she firm in her beliefs, but she fought for them… She brings hope to me, especially with what’s happening in Gaza. May St. Joan protect the women and children in Gaza.” – Artwork and writing by Madison Pleta, eighth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“I chose St. Dominic because my mom named me after him.” – Dominic David, eighth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“St. Therese inspires me to be kind to others. She had so much love for God, and she gave love to others like flowers.” – Artwork and writing by Katherine Contreras, seventh grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“I like St. Maria Goretti because she spoke up at a young age, and also because she was willing to die rather than sin against God.” – Artwork and writing by Macey Pleta, sixth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“The saint I chose is called ‘La Rosa de Guadalupe.’ Mary has truly been my inspiration as she cared for Jesus and protects us and prays with us when in tough times.” – Briana Umanzor, seventh grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda
“I chose to draw Saint Chiara d’Assisi (St. Clare of Assisi) because she is my Confirmation saint. I admire her courage and faith.” – Artwork and writing by Sophia Delaney, eighth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda, Maryland
Drawing of St. Jude by Caleb Alvarez, fourth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda
“I chose St. Rose of Lima because she is the patroness of florists, and I am inspired by her roses. God gave St. Rose visions and blessings. She died at the age of 31 in 1617.” – Artwork and writing by Claire Schreiber, seventh grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda
“My favorite saint is Mary, because she is so lovely and open to God. I aspire to be like Mary. Mary said ‘yes’ to God and agreed to do what He wanted no matter how much suffering it caused. Mary endured much suffering being the Mother of God. I hope that I can endure suffering like Mary and be a good mother too when I grow up. I look up to Mary and her example, which is why she is my favorite saint.” – Artwork and writing by Coco Chiu, seventh grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda
“St. Nicholas is my favorite saint because he is kind and generous. I always remember how he gave money, food and toys to those in need.” – Artwork and writing by Keira Nilsen, third grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda
“St. Helena is admired because she is the patron saint of new discoveries, and I love new discoveries. St. Helena is praised because she had the love and courage to find the real cross of Jesus Christ.” – Artwork and writing by Elena Millan Obregon, fifth grade, St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda
St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
“The saint I have chosen is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. I chose her because she is a Christian symbol of charity. I felt connected to her because of her devotion to charity and helping the poor…. She is my inspiration and an excellent role model on how to be more like Jesus.” – Drawing and writing by Imanie Mayi, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills, Maryland
Drawing of St. John Bosco by Milagros Ramirez, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
“St. Oscar Romero was a brave person who stood up for others. He fought for people who didn’t have a voice. I admire his courage, and I think his story is important. Something I found intriguing was that my grandmother worked with him. He used his voice when others were too scared to speak up. And guess what? He kept going even though he knew it would be dangerous. Some people didn’t like what he was doing and wanted him silenced, but St. Oscar Romero wouldn’t back down. His courage was off the charts. Although his life ended in tragedy and he was killed during a church service, his legacy lives on. I believe that by diving into his story, we can find inspiration for our own lives.” – Bianca Hernandez, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
“The reason I chose St. Peter is he reminded us that Jesus will not refuse any soul that approaches him with a sorrowful heart.” – Mia Augment, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
“St. Cecilia was one of the many followers of Jesus. She is known as the patron saint of musicians. I chose St. Cecilia because I was astonished by and admired her love for God. St. Cecilia demonstrated great faith in God and never faltered when faced with a difficult decision. She portrayed one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, counsel, which is the ability to make good moral choices when faced with the difficulty of doing so. I was inspired by her ambition and unwavering love and devotion to God. Not only did she give all of her wealth to the poor, but she also donated her house to the pope to become a place of Christian worship. St. Cecilia gave her life to Christ and died a martyr. St. Cecilia represents true love for God that cannot be destroyed or tainted by those who mock Christianity, or by the temptations of the devil. I hope that we can all learn from St. Cecilia’s example and hold unwavering love for God.” – Artwork and writing by Destinee Bengangacha, eighth grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
“St. Mary is Jesus’s mother… She is our mother in heaven.” –Ayomiposi Adebayo, first grade, St. Mary's School, Landover Hills
“I admire St. Anthony of Padua because he helped the poor and the sick.” – Artwork and writing by Paschaline Akakem, first grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
“St. Anthony cared for other people.” – Liam Avila, first grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
“St. Mary is a good mother to us and Jesus. She will always be there for us.” – Zara Larry, first grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
“I like St. Mary because she protects me and my friends.” – Layne Lopez, first grade, St. Mary’s School, Landover Hills
Holy Redeemer School, College Park
“I love Mary because she is the mother of everyone.” – Artwork and writing by Aria Najimy, kindergarten, Holy Redeemer School, College Park
“I love Mary our Blessed Mother because she loves Jesus.” – Artwork and writing by Aurora Boettinger, kindergarten, Holy Redeemer School, College Park
Little Flower School, Great Mills
Drawing of St. Rose of Lima by Madelynn Beall, sixth grade, Little Flower School, Great Mills, Maryland
“My favorite saint is St. Faustina. I admire St. Faustina because she always listened to God and gave us the Divine Mercy (devotion).” – Adalene Jones, sixth grade, Little Flower School, Great Mills
“St. Lucy sticks out to me not only because she is my Confirmation saint, but because she emulates the virtue of generosity. She grew up in a noble family with the option to marry a wealthy man; but instead, she decided to be unmarried and devoted her life to God. During the cold winters during Christmas, she delivered cinnamon rolls and coffee to the poor to show her generosity and love to God.” – Christina Derisavi, seventh grade, Little Flower School Great Mills
“I chose to draw St. Catherine of Siena because she was known for her holiness and spiritual visions… St. Catherine was a woman of courage. I admire that she chose to follow a path of following God. She demonstrated strength by always putting others before her.” – Artwork and writing by Sammie Mullinix, seventh grade, Little Flower School, Great Mills
“St. Joseph of Cupertino came from a humble family, and he faced challenges with his studies. Even though he worked hard, he struggled to pass his exams which made it tough for him to become a priest. He prayed fervently, and miraculously, his wish came true when he was accepted into a congregation as a friar. St. Jospeh of Cupertino is now known as the patron saint of students taking exams.” – Tyler Merrique, eighth grade, Little Flower School, Great Mills
