For the January Junior Saints, students in The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington were invited to draw a picture and write about something they would like to do in the new year 2022.
St. Bartholomew Catholic School, Bethesda, Maryland
“Hanging out with my friends is something I’m definitely looking forward to in 2022. My time with them is enjoyable. My two best friends and I have been friends for seven years. They never fail to make me laugh, whether it's on Face Time or in person. We’ve also made a bucket list for the next few years, which is jam-packed with exciting and out-of-the-ordinary things. I'm honored to consider them my best friends, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with them in the coming year.”— Drawing and writing by Brooke Hughes, seventh grade, St. Bartholomew School, Bethesda
“Since I was young I’ve always liked the water, and sailing always seems so amazing. This year I hope to sail on a sailboat or hopefully someday even on America's tall ship, the Bark Eagle, which is a ship used to train Coast Guard trainees. That’s my hope for 2022.” – Artwork and writing by Joseph Obermeier, seventh grade, St. Bartholomew School, Bethesda
“This new year, I really want to go see my family in California for the first time in two years.” – Artwork and writing by Sophia Delaney, sixth grade, St. Bartholomew School, Bethesda
Artwork by Caroline Ramsdell, seventh grade, St. Bartholomew School, Bethesda
“Last year, I made many goals for 2022, but now that we are here, I know what my top goals are. I love singing, and I also love music. I have a ukulele and a guitar and I want to spend more time learning these instruments. Additionally, I really like playing soccer, it is my favorite sport, and I want to improve this year and maybe try a new position. And finally, my last new year’s resolution is to try to make the world a better place even if I’m one person.” – Artwork and writing by Isabelle Delgado, seventh grade, St. Bartholomew School, Bethesda
“I am looking forward to traveling with my family. After staying inside for most of the year, it will be nice to experience nature with friends and family.” – Alexandra Hughes, seventh grade, St. Bartholomew School, Bethesda
“Family is important, whether it is your ancestors, or descendants. Both play a part, the people who will carry your legacy to the next generation, or people who have carried their legacy to you. People meet up with family during the holidays, because it’s a special occasion that needs to be celebrated. Whether it’s Jesus’s birthday, or a time to give thanks, or someone's birthday. These occasions deserve to be celebrated with family.
“My family lives in Australia. My parents made it a tradition to see my Australian family each year. Due to Covid-19, I have not been able to visit my family since Christmas 2019-2020. We kept making plans, then they kept getting canceled. My Mom, my Dad, and I usually visit Australia during Christmas time. However, this year we intend to visit during summertime. We have made plans, and bought tickets, and I would really like to visit my family. My birthday is in July, so I will celebrate my birthday with my family (hopefully). This will be my first time celebrating my birthday with my family (there), however, it will not be my first time celebrating something special with my family.
“The picture I drew portrays me blowing out the candles on my birthday cake, in the backyard of my grandparents’ house. I love my grandparents’ house, so I am hoping I will get to celebrate some of my birthdays there. My family means a lot to me, so I am hoping this year for my birthday I will get to visit them. So, in conclusion, something I am hoping to do in 2022 is visit my family in Australia, and celebrate my birthday surrounded by people I love.” – Artwork and writing by Coco Chiu, fifth grade, St. Bartholomew School, Bethesda
St. Columba School, Oxon Hill, Maryland
“For the year 2022, I hope to immerse myself deeper into the world of reading, as well as expand on my collection of books to read every day.” – Artwork and writing by Hayden Estrella, eighth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill, Maryland
“In 2022, I will try to pray more to get closer to God.” – Artwork and writing by Tyra de Castro, seventh grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“In this new year of 2022, I would like to travel to visit my relatives in California who I have not seen in a very long time. It would be great to catch up with them and create some nice memories with them.” – Gavin Smit, seventh grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“I would like to go sightseeing more with my family, travel for food, and crochet a winter headband.” – Josette Amado, eighth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“With the new year and a new time for spending time with God, I want to do some things that would bring me closer to God so I could spend this year with daily practices and giving my love for God every day. By spending some time with God in prayer, my faith can extend closer to God so there would be a path to heaven. While I’m still on Earth, however, I can spend the time studying for academics so I am more knowledgeable about the complex world God has created. But to cross between both worlds, I want to help others so that they too may study hard and pray. I hope to perform these deeds more and more, maybe even daily, to have a strong relationship with others and God.” – Arlo Pangilinan, eighth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill
“Suicide amongst teenagers and young adults spiked during COVID-19 lockdowns 2020 through 2021. In 2022, all I want is for my class and me to all graduate together.” – Artwork and writing by AJ Capati, eighth grade, St. Columba School, Oxon Hill (Note: Capati’s uncropped artwork included the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255. That website is https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/)
St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, Washington, D.C.
“There are a lot of things I want to do in the new year. One thing I am excited about is getting my First Holy Communion. My brother got his First Communion last year. I was very proud of him. I want to eat the Body of Christ so I can be blessed. I hope my teacher will be there for my Holy Communion. I am very excited!” – Artwork and writing by Aiden Lewis, second grade, St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, Washington
“This year I’m going to practice more on clothing design. I will have the ability to create my own path, and there’s no limit to designing my own style!” – Artwork and writing by Ariel Collins, eighth grade, St. Thomas More Catholic Academy, Washington, D.C.
Mary of Nazareth Catholic School, Darnestown
Artwork by Mary Sabti, second grade, Mary of Nazareth School, Darnestown, Maryland
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy, Washington, D.C.
Artwork by Madison Russell, eighth grade, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Academy, Washington, D.C.
St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington, D.C.
Drawing by Kaylyn Chappell, seventh grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“Something I would like to happen in the new year would be to grow closer to God. I would also like to be generous to those in need, giving stuff to others. I would like to pray more and have a relationship with God.” – Vivien Birch, eighth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“This year I want to become a better person and become a better organized person by keeping up with work and helping people in need.” – Maiyah Marshall, seventh grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“(I want to) spend time with my new dog and train her and also spend time with my family.” – Jaydon Duvall, sixth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“What I want to do for the new year is to get better grades in school and eat more Sponge Bob popsicles.” – Caleb Sharpe, sixth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“(I plan on) giving food and clothes to the poor. I will do my homework.” – Feben Belay, sixth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“(I hope) to meet old friends.” – Lucero Carranza, eighth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“In 2022, I want to surf a lot.” – Nathaniel Yilma, sixth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“During 2022, I will try to work hard, get good grades and spend more time with my family. And I will do that by studying and trying my best on tests.” – Abigeya Ashenafi, sixth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“In 2022, I want to improve my grades and be more helpful to others…” – Yohanna Owens, seventh grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“I want to start working out more to be healthier this year.” – Drawing and writing by Lital Hobgen, seventh grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“My new year’s resolution is to be more kind to my peers. I will compliment them on their good doings, and I will help them when they need it.” – Abagia Mersha, seventh grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“What I wish to do for the new year is spend more time with friends, finally type and print my books I’ve written, and pray to God that Covid will be over. I also wish to do great in high school.” – Isabella Xavier, eighth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“What I want to do for the new year is be a more positive person. God can help me keep good thoughts and forget the bad.” – Joshua Xavier, seventh grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
“What I wish to do in the new year is to get better grades, and succeed in school. Also to help other people in need and do good deeds in the world.” – Leilani Hampton, eighth grade, St. Augustine Catholic School, Washington
Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham, Maryland
“I will read more of the Bible, and learn more about Jesus and His amazing miracles, and see and read how he spreads the Holy Spirit and all his wonders. That is what I will do this 2022 year.” – Drawing and writing by Enuma Offiah, fifth grade, Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
“One resolution I have is to be nice in different ways. One way is not to gossip about other people unless it’s something nice. I can also be nice by helping around the neighbors in my neighborhood to show that citizenship is a really good thing. If someone is bullying someone else, you can defend them.” – Bezankeng Khumbah, fifth grade, Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
“I want to go to church more for this new year, because my family and I haven’t been going recently. I think of a new year as a fresh start. This new year, I will try my best to go to church more.” – Stephen Oben, fifth grade, Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
“I would try new sports. I will read the Bible every day and learn about Jesus and God. I will learn more in school and take notes. I will clean more in my room. I will help the homeless and help people in need of care and friendliness.” – Jayvin Ascencio-Zapata, fifth grade, Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
“…Since we have been at home a lot, I feel like I want to do more. Helping people makes the world a better place. I would like to be like Jesus, and Jesus helped (people)… You don’t do it just to be kind, you do it for Jesus.” – Drawing and writing by Isabella Penado, fifth grade, Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
“I would love to enhance myself in multiple ways this year. One way would be to read more books and to enlarge my vocabulary. Another way would be to pray more and strengthen my relationship with God. One more would be to study harder and get better grades. I’m definitely going to work harder this year!” – Stephanie Oben, fifth grade, Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
“The main thing I want for 2022 is Jesus. Without him, I have nothing. He is the way, the truth and the life. I want to spend more time with him this year, because there are so many things that are happening right now – Covid, tests and quizzes…” – Emeka “Olivia” Udebuala, fifth grade, Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons, Maryland
“I’d like to be better at sports, including gymnastics. I’d like to do a back-hip circle on the bar and complete my pullover. On beam, I’d like to do a cartwheel. On floor, I’d like to do a back walkover. And I’d also like to be better at piano and be able to play 20 different songs!” – Artwork and writing by Lily Frazier, third grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“Something that I would like to do in the new year would (be) to be more positive. I would also like to go to Mass more often and try to grow closer to God. Without God, nothing would be here.” – Charlotte Adams, fifth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“Something I would like to do in the new year is make new friends. My friends and I are going to play cards. I plan on meeting friends at the park. I will play on a baseball team to meet new friends. I hope to meet nine new friends in the new year.” – Kenny Owen Napier, third grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“There are some new things I would like to do this year. I want to take up more chores to help my mom and dad. I also want to learn ASL (American Sign Language).” – Ava Hall, fifth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“My new year’s resolution is to be more nice to my family, because they get me frustrated sometimes. I want to show more patience when I am frustrated. And I won’t get frustrated when my cats will try to steal my food.” – Silas Stefano, fourth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
Drawing by Harper Hutchins, fifth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“This year, I want to grow closer to God, by praying, going to church and by helping others…” – Drawing and writing by Addison McGaffin, eighth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“The thing I want to do in the new year is practice remembering that Jesus gave me the gifts that I have. Sometimes I forget that Jesus gave me the gift of being athletic, or him giving me the gift of family and friends. I think that if we remember this, then we can do more good things for God…” – Kaleb Wingenter, sixth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“In the new year, I’d like to be more patient so that I don’t rush myself, and that less problems happen because of that. I’d also like to pray more and grow closer to God. I’d try to be nicer when I get annoyed and think before I speak. I’ll work harder in school and (in) whatever else I do.” – Luke Annulis, seventh grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“This year in 2022, something I would like to do is be more kind. I don’t think there is enough kindness in the world. When you get frustrated, don’t take it out on other people and talk to someone about it. Something else I would like to do is be more confident… I also would like to go to animal shelters and volunteer and help all the animals out through this hard time. This year I want to improve myself as much as I can. I’m going to make this the best year ever.” – Artwork and writing by Franki White, eighth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
“For this new year, I would like to spend (time) with all my family at my aunt’s house. I would love to see the snow for the first time and enjoy playing with my sweet cousins. I would also like to make a snowman with my grandma, she always talks about how fun it would be.
“I would also like to pray for all of my family members and for people who are having a hard time. This year has been very hard for all of us. So many people have lost their loved ones. Others have lost their jobs. Everybody has been so worried about how the government was going to handle COVID-19.
“Back in Peru, when I saw the news programs, I felt bad for those thousands of people that have died. Some people still don’t realize how lucky they are. They have a beautiful house filled with lots of people who love them. They have food and beautiful clothes. My mom always told me that even though you’re having a hard time, you should always be thankful for what you have, because there are lots of people who aren’t as lucky as you. And as my uncle says, you should always be happy, always be silly and never get angry.” – Rafaella Lossio Villanueva, sixth grade, Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Solomons
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February Junior Saints seeking drawings and writings for Black History Month
February is Black History Month. For the February Junior Saints, students are invited to draw a picture of an African American woman or man who made history, and write about what they admire about that person. The drawings and writings should be emailed to mark@cathstan.org by Wednesday Feb. 9, 2022 to Mark Zimmermann, the Catholic Standard's editor, and they should include the name, grade and school or parish of the student printed clearly.
Due to time constraints involved with reviewing the volume of submitted work, it is requested that schools or parish religious education programs limit their entries to 10 drawings and 10 writings from their students. The best formats to send are jpegs for artwork and word documents or pdfs for writing, if possible. Thank you!
