September 2025 – A sophomore from Regis High School in New York City, Kieran Fitzpatrick ’28, has been awarded first place in the Saints in the Making Art Contest, sponsored by the USA East Province Vocation Office. The contest celebrated the lives of two newly canonized saints, Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati.
The competition, announced in late spring, invited submissions from Jesuit high school students across the USA East Province. Artists were asked to create original works inspired by Acutis, a millennial known for his devotion to the Eucharist and skill with technology, and Frassati, beloved for his adventurous spirit and service to the poor. Both young men were canonized by Pope Leo XIV on September 7, 2025.
Fitzpatrick received a $250 prize, and his artwork was featured on a prayer card distributed to Jesuit schools across the province. Every Regis student received this holy card at the school’s Mass of the Holy Spirit on September 12. Fitzpatrick will also be highlighted in an upcoming issue of JESUITS magazine.
Second and third prizes, carrying awards of $150 and $100, were also presented to student artists from other Jesuit schools: Elias B., a sophomore at Boston College High School, and Thomas M., a sophomore at Xavier High School, received second and third place respectively.
Fr. Patrick Nolan, SJ, USA East Province Vocation Director, praised the creativity and spiritual depth of the entries. “These young artists are carrying forward the same vibrancy and witness that Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati embodied. These students used their talents to tell the story of these two new saints who, like them, were Jesuit high school students. I hope their work will inspire their peers to seek holiness in everyday life.”
The USA East Jesuit Vocation Team accompanies young men who are discerning a Jesuit vocation as a brother or priest. Do you know someone who might want to put their talents at the service of the Church and the world? Encourage them to visit BeAJesuit.org to learn more.
