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English Benedictine Congregation Schools Prize

The Congregation’s schools in England decided in 2009 to institute a Prize Essay competition. The Abbot President was asked to set the title and to judge the entries.
The competition was open to any student at a Benedictine school in the United Kingdom and the Irish Republic. Candidates were asked to write an essay of approximately 1500 words.

The essays were judged by the Abbot President and Abbot Edmund Power of the Abbey of San Paolo fuori le Mura, Rome.
A first prize of £500, a second prize of £250, and three further prizes of £100 were offered.

The 2011 Essay Title was:
"Which of the tools of good works would St Benedict have recommended in particular to students in a 21st century Benedictine School?"

The judges, the Abbot President of the Congregation and the Abbot of St Paul’s-outside-the-Walls, Rome, have decided that the first prize will be awarded to two candidates who will therefore share the prize money allocated to the first and second prizes

• First Prize (in alphabetical order of surnames) (£350 each)
  Jędrzej Kosak (Downside School )
  This prize essay may be read HERE.
  Aran O’Grady (Glenstal Abbey School)
  This prize essay may be read HERE.

• Third Prize (£100):              
  Bron Maher (St Benedict’s School, Ealing)

In addition, the judges have highly commended the essays submitted by the four following candidates (in alphabetical order of surnames), and awarded them a prize of £50:

• Alistair Anderson (Ampleforth College)

• Camilla Cockerill (Ampleforth College)

• Harriet Davis-White (Worth School)

• Benn Sheridan (Downside School)

• First Prize (£500): Cosima Benson-Colpi (Downside School).
  This prize essay may be read HERE.
• Second Prize (£200): Bron Maher (St Benedict’s School, Ealing)
• Third Prize (£100): Oliver Rex (Ampleforth College)

In addition, the judges have highly commended the essays submitted by the three following candidates (in alphabetical order of surnames), and awarded them a prize of £50:

• John Clapham (Ampleforth College)
• Anastasia Dimmek (Worth School)
• Maria-Józefina Lasecka (Ampleforth College)

The 2010 Essay Title was:
"Can Chapters 23-30 of the Rule of Saint Benedict be the Basis of a Disciplinary Policy for a Benedictine School?"

The 2010 winners were:

• First Prize (£500): Cosima Benson-Colpi (Downside School).
  This prize essay may be read HERE.
• Second Prize (£200): Bron Maher (St Benedict’s School, Ealing)
• Third Prize (£100): Oliver Rex (Ampleforth College)

In addition, the judges have highly commended the essays submitted by the three following candidates (in alphabetical order of surnames), and awarded them a prize of £50:

• John Clapham (Ampleforth College)
• Anastasia Dimmek (Worth School)
• Maria-Józefina Lasecka (Ampleforth College)

The 2009 Essay Title was:
"Is a Benedictine School likely to favour the Arts rather than the Sciences?"

The 2009 winners were:

• First prize of £500: Jack Belloli (St Benedict’s School, Ealing) This prize essay may be read HERE
• Second prize of £200: John Raphael Roberts (Downside School)
• Prizes of £100: Matthew Rudman (Ampleforth College)
• Cosima Benson-Colpi (Downside School)
• Charity Eleanor Mapletoft (Ampleforth College)