Pax Christi USA is excited to announce a national essay invitational especially for Catholic students — high school juniors through graduate students — to express their hopes and dreams for peace and justice.
The contest is open to students in the United States and is supported by generous gifts made by Fr. Fred Thelen and other donors.
Who is eligible to participate?
- High school students: Juniors and seniors entering the 2026–2027 school year, or recent high school graduates.
- College/university students: Students currently enrolled in colleges or universities.
- The invitational is open to students who live in the United States and its territories.
What should you write about?
Essays should be written on one of the following issues: peace, nonviolence, justice, anti-racism, immigrant rights, nuclear disarmament, or conscientious objection.
All submitted essays should:
- Be entirely original; AI assistance is not permitted.
- Be grounded in personal experience or community connection.
- Reference at least one person—historical or contemporary—who has put their livelihood, freedom, or safety on the line for this cause.
- Address how the author feels compelled to follow this example.
- High school submissions should be 750–1,500 words
- College and university submissions should be 1,000–2,500 words
Only one submission per person!
Submission deadline: June 15, 2026
All essays must be received by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on Monday, June 15. Late submissions will not be accepted.
How do I submit my essay?
Use this link to send in your essay.
When submitting your essay, you’ll be asked for the following information:
- Your full name
- Your email address
- Your mailing address
- Your phone number
- Your current grade level or year in school (high school junior, high school senior, college first year, college second year, college third year, college fourth year, or other)
- Your school name and address
- Whether you are a current member of Pax Christi USA (yes/no)
- Whether you are a current member of Pax Christi Young Adult Community (yes/no)
What do the winners receive?
Winners will be selected and recognized in two categories: high school and college/university.
High school category
- First place: $750
- Second place: $500
- Third place: $250
College and university category
- First place: $1,000
- Second place: $750
- Third place: $500
Winners will be notified in late July 2026.
What happens to the essays after the contest ends?
If your essay is chosen as one of the winners: Your essay may be published on Pax Christi USA’s website, in our communications, or in other materials promoting peace and justice.
If your essay isn’t selected as a winner: You may grant permission for your essay to be included in a digital collection celebrating outstanding submissions from young Catholic voices. Inclusion of your essay in this collection is entirely optional and will not affect the judging process.
But it’s YOUR essay!: You retain full ownership and authorship of your work. You will be credited by name in any publication. Pax Christi USA will not use your essay for commercial purposes without your explicit written consent.
When you submit your essay, you will be asked to indicate your publication preferences.
What are the general rules?
- Essays must be original work written by you; AI assistance is not permitted.
- Essays must address the prompt directly.
- Essays must follow the specified word count limits.
- Multiple submissions from the same person are not permitted.
- By submitting, you confirm that your essay is your own work and that you have the right to submit it.
Use this link to read the entire list of official rules.
Any other questions?
For questions about the contest, please contact Pax Christi USA at info@paxchristiusa.org.
Submission deadline: June 15, 2026
Use this link to send in your essay.