St John's student wins Catholic Young Writer Award 2026
A student from St John's Catholic Comprehensive School, Gravesend wins writing competition
A student from St John's Catholic Comprehensive School, Gravesend, in the Archdiocese of Southwark, has won joint first prize in the Catholic Young Writer Award 2026, which attracted over one hundred entries from Catholic secondary schools across the country.
Sponsored by the Catholic Union Charitable Trust, the Award was launched over 30 years ago by The Keys, the Catholic Writers' Guild of England and Wales. This year's theme was The Church's Sacrament of Forgiveness: Why We Go to Confession.
Matt Barron, Headteacher at St John's, said:
"We are immensely proud of our winning student and his wonderful achievement. His essay demonstrates not only exceptional writing ability but also a deep understanding of the Catholic faith and the transformative power of God's forgiveness.
"At St John's, we strive to nurture both academic excellence and spiritual growth. Our student's success is a testament to his hard work, commitment, and thoughtful engagement with his faith. He is a wonderful ambassador for our school community, and we congratulate him wholeheartedly on this prestigious award."
Please join us in congratulating the winning student and praying for him, and all who entered the competition.
The other joint first prize went to a student from St Peter's Catholic High School, Wigan.
For more information about the Catholic Union, please visit www.catholicunion.org.uk.
