
Archbishop lauds Respect Life Essay winners: “Thank you for giving us all a good example”
By Valerie Schmalz
“God shows us once again that he never fails to be full of surprises,” Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said in the introduction to his homily at Sunday’s Mass for the 36th annual Archdiocesan Respect Life Essay Contest.

The Mass and ceremony following were to fall on the same day that Pope Francis was to canonize the first millennial saint, Blessed Carlo Acutis who died in 2006 at 15. But the death of Pope Francis not only means the world is mourning, but also that there is no pope to canonize a new saint, the Archbishop said. Therefore, the canonization is postponed. But the value of the example of Blessed Carlo for youth of today and for all of us remains, the Archbishop said in his homily.
This year’s contest for students K-12 was based on the theme from the teachings of Pope Francis who in 2021 established a special day for grandparents and the elderly on the July feast day of the Blessed Mother’s grandparents, St. Anne and St. Joachim. The theme of the 2024 archdiocesan contest was “Respecting and Loving Our Elderly.”
Blessed Carlo is a wonderful example for young people, and for all of us, the Archbishop said. Blessed Carlo was an ordinary Milanese teen who loved music and played sports and video games and also knew what was important. “In short, he is relatable,” the Archbishop said. Blessed Carlo wrote at age 7 that his goal was “to be always close to Jesus,” Archbishop Cordileone said in his homily at the 11 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco.
Blessed Carlo created a special kit to become a saint, and the Archbishop shared the points of the kit with those at Mass. It begins with “Pray every day for the desire to become a saint!” and concludes with point eight, “Rely on your guardian angel as your best friend.”

Every person is called to be a saint, the Archbishop reiterated after Mass to the approximately 300 children and parents and other relatives gathered for the awards ceremony. He praised the school children for participating in the contest and giving witness to the foundational principle of respect for human life.
“Your awareness about what it is to support the dignity of human life–it will probably eventually get you in trouble just like it got those first disciples in trouble in their time. They had to suffer for it,” the Archbishop said, saying St. John the Apostle was exiled to the island of Patmos, and most apostles were martyred. Many of their stories of evangelization are in the Acts of the Apostles. “But there is a great peace when you have suffered for something that is right.”

“Thank you for giving us all a good example of about being true to what God calls us to do and being true to defending and respecting and promoting the goodness of human life,” Archbishop Cordileone told the crowded room at the cathedral event center.
The Archbishop distributed the award certificates, which included monetary awards, and had his photo taken with the children.
“We have some wonderful essays,” Archdiocesan Respect Life Coordinator Maria Martinez-Mont told those gathered and pointed to the winning entries which were posted around the room for all to view at the awards ceremony in the cathedral event center after Mass.
The Archdiocesan Respect Life Essay Contest awards were provided by a generous donation from United for Life of San Francisco. Martinez-Mont thanked the pro-life organization for its ongoing support, and she thanked the volunteers who graded the essays and who also distributed donuts and helped shepherd children on and off the stage.
To view the winners, see below and go here.

To read more of the essay prompts, go here.
Photos by Dennis Callahan/Archdiocese of San Francisco





