In honor of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, which Pope Francis has declared from Dec. 8, 2015 to Nov. 20, 2016, we asked students to share a real-life story of mercy that has inspired them and to tell what this story teaches them about the need for mercy today. We received 6,452 essays from students competing in two divisions (grades 6–8 and grades 9–12). From recounting events that moved them to experiences that changed them, young writers captured the spirit of this jubilee year. “Unfortunately only three entries in each division could be selected as winners,” said Maryknoll Sister Mary Ellen Manz, who coordinated the judging. “But we were so inspired by all the students who shared their...
