To honor the Fifth Anniversary of the death of Ignatius Cardinal Kung, and To increase the awareness of the persecution of the Roman Catholic Church in China,
The Cardinal Kung Foundation
is sponsoring an Essay Contest

Ignatius Cardinal Kung Pin-Mei, Bishop of Shanghai, Apostolic Administrator of Soochou and Nanking, was imprisoned by the Chinese Communist government for 32 ½ years for his fidelity to the Pope and for refusing to lead the government established Catholic Patriotic Association. Cardinal Kung died in exile on March 12, 2000 at the age of 98 in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. At the time of his death, Cardinal Kung was the oldest Cardinal of the Church. Cardinal Kung was "a man who refused to renounce God and His Church despite dire personal consequences; a man who inspired millions of his countrymen to follow his example and preserve the Roman Catholic Church in a Communist country; a man who kept the faith though confined in solitary cells for 30 years; and a man who became a symbol for world leaders in their fight for human rights in all countries." At his death, the Chinese government reminded the world that Kung Pin-Mei was a prisoner of China, found guilty by the court. Pope John Paul II also issued a statement and he called Cardinal Kung "a noble son of China and of the Church." 

Theme: 

Describe what you consider to be the most important moments in the life of Cardinal Kung for both Cardinal Kung and for the Roman Catholic Church in China.

Eligibility: 

All Catholic students enrolled in grades 9 to12 or home-schooled students in similar grades. 

Awards: 

There will be three winners for each grade. Each winner will receive a $100 award. 

Twelve honorable mentions each receiving a book on the Roman Catholic Church in China.

Each contestant will receive a Certificate of Merit for participation and a booklet on the life of Cardinal Kung. 

The names of the winners and honorable mentions will be announced on the Cardinal Kung Foundation web site on the Feast of Our Lady of China, May 7, 2005. Winners will also be notified by mail (and by email if an email address has been submitted).

Some of the winning essays will be published on the Foundation's website. 

Deadline: 

All entries must reach the Foundation's Office by March 31, 2005. Essays should be mailed to Essay Contest, Cardinal Kung Foundation, P.O. Box 8086, Stamford, CT 06905, USA. 

Essay Requirements:

 The essay must be the original work of the student. Use information from a variety of sources such as the Cardinal Kung Foundation website www.cardinalkungfoundation.org, articles, newspapers, books or other resources on the internet. 

The essay must be in English, not more than 1000 words, type-written and double-spaced, on one side of 8 ½ by 11 inch paper. Your name and school's name must not appear in the essay. Footnotes and bibliography are not included in the word count. 

Submit two copies of the essay. The first copy should attach the following information: name, address, email address, current grade, name of the school, name of the parish. The second copy should contain no personal identification information. 

Submissions to the essay contest will not be returned. 

By submitting essays, the contestants acknowledge and grant the Cardinal Kung Foundation rights to publish the winning essays on its website, newsletter and its other publications. The winners agree not to publish or re-submit the winning essays to other organizations. 

Judges:

Will be appointed by the Cardinal Kung Foundation. Essays will be judged anonymously. The decisions of the judges are final.