St. Cloud Diocesan Council of Catholic Women at 25008 Mary St., Paynesville, MN 56362 US - Family Rosary Announces Winners of 2008 "Try Prayer! It Works!" Contest

15 Students Named First-Place Winners in 13th Annual
"Try Prayer" Contest with more than 50,000 Participants

Family Rosary has announced the winners of the 2008 "Try Prayer! It Works!" contest. The 13th annual national competition — which encourages students to express their faith through art, poetry and prose — attracted more than 3,000 entries from more than 50,000 participants from across the country.

Each year, children and teens from Catholic schools, parishes and other Catholic organizations utilize their creative skills to illustrate a different faith-based theme. This year, the theme was Following in the Footsteps of the Saints. Students from kindergarten through 12th grade creatively depicted in various art forms how they honor these holy people by learning from the examples of their experiences.

"The contest enables children of all ages to express creatively the importance of faith in their daily lives," said Father John Phalen, CSC, President of Holy Cross Family Ministries. "Following in the footsteps of Mary and the other saints, who follow those of Jesus, is a profound occasion for children to examine their spirituality. This contest provides students with a means to show how the lessons of the lives of the saints are still important to us today. All of the entries demonstrate how prayer, thought and creativity are an inspiration to young and old."

In addition to the "Try Prayer! It Works!" contest in the United States, separate competitions are conducted in Mexico, East Africa, West Africa, Bangladesh, Brazil, Peru, Ireland, Chile, Haiti and the Philippines. Entries are judged on content, ability to capture and interpret the theme, artistic and technical proficiency, and adherence to rules.

In the United States, up to three winners are chosen per grade: first-place winners are awarded $100 U.S., while the sponsoring organization earns $200 U.S. Runners-up win a set of Family Theater Productions movies. 

Family Rosary was founded in 1942 by the late "Rosary Priest," Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC. The "Try Prayer! It Works!" contest derives its name from an experience in the life of Father Peyton. While a seminarian, he was stricken with severe tuberculosis. At one point, a frustrated physician said, "Try prayer! We have done all we can for you." Father Peyton prayed his Rosary to the Blessed Mother and he made a miraculous recovery.

This experience — coupled with his spiritually rich family life as a youth in Ireland, where his family prayed the Rosary each night — inspired Father Peyton to devote his life to Mary, Mother of God, and to the spiritual well-being of the family. His famous slogan, "The Family That Prays Together Stays Together™," still resonates today.

For all the winning entries click here.