Key Stage 1 Apostle Drawing Competition: 2020

The Apostle Drawing Competition is being run by the National Shrine of Saint Jude (Carmelite Charitable Trust, Reg 1061342).

For over 800 years, the Carmelite friars have responded to God’s call in Britain and worldwide, and have provided a significant response to the needs of an ever-changing world. The Order seeks the face of the living God, not only in prayer and fraternity, but also in service. The National Shrine of Saint Jude is one part of the Carmelite service to God and His people in the British Province.

Since 1955, the shrine in Faversham, Kent has been a centre of devotion to Saint Jude in the UK.

Saint Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles appointed by Jesus to lead his Church. Jude is today revered as a saint with widespread devotion among Christians of many denominations, especially Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglicans. Saint Jude is the patron saint of various groups and places, and is best known as the patron of "desperate" or "difficult" cases (a term used in preference to the older title of "hopeless" cases, since with God no situation is hopeless). We believe Saint Jude is very much a ‘Saint of Hope’.

The competition is open from 11 November until 11 February 2020. We have invited 350 catholic primary schools to take part.

Entrants must be school pupils who are studying in Key Stage 1, UK residents only.

Twenty-six (26) prize winners will be chosen (two per Apostle). Each prize winner will have their art printed in a new prayer book published in 2020 by the National Shrine of Saint Jude. The prayer book will be themed on the Apostles (excluding Judas) and will include Paul and Matthias, as such:

• Saint Peter
• Saint Andrew 
• Saint James – son of Zebedee
• Saint John
• Saint Philip
• Saint Bartholomew
• Saint Thomas
• Saint Matthew
• Saint James – son of Alphaeus
• Saint Jude 
• Saint Simon 
• Saint Paul
• Saint Matthias

The prayer book will be a part of the Shrine of Saint Jude’s celebration of our sixty-fifth anniversary since it was founded by Fr. Elias Lynch, O.Carm.

We ask that if your school chooses to take part, please send in at least one drawing of each Apostle by an individual pupil.

The drawing can be a copy of an Apostle depicted in art or a completely new interpretation. The original drawing can be coloured in, though this is not necessary. On a link below, we have included photos of the Apostles at the Shrine of Saint Jude, which includes Saint Paul – as a starting point. However, the school or pupils should not feel they need to copy these.

Christianity has used symbolism from its very beginnings. Each saint has a story and a reason why they led an exemplary life. Symbols have been used to tell these stories throughout the history of the Church. A number of Christian saints are traditionally represented by a symbol or iconic motif associated with their life, termed an attribute or emblem, in order to identify them. Listed below is what the Apostles have been associated with in the past:

• Andrew – saltire

• Bartholomew the Apostle – knife

• James, son of Zebedee – pilgrim's staff, scallop shell, key, sword, pilgrim's hat, astride a white charger, Cross of Saint James

• James, son of Alphaeus – square rule, halberd, club, saw

• John – book, a serpent in a chalice, cauldron, eagle

• Jude – sword, square rule, club, ship[a]

• Matthew -angel

• Peter – Keys of Heaven, boat, fish, rooster, pallium, papal vestments, vested as an Apostle, holding a book or scroll. Iconographically, he is depicted with a bushy white beard and white hair, and wearing a blue robe and yellow mantle.

• Philip: column; elderly bearded saint, holding a basket of loaves and a Tau Cross[a]

• Simon: boat; cross and saw; fish (or two fishes); lance; oar

• Thomas: the twin, placing his finger in the side of Christ, axe, spear, square (his profession, a builder)

• Paul: sword, book or scroll, horse; long, pointed beard, and balding backwards from forehead. Green robe, red mantle

• Matthias: axe

The carvings of the Twelve Apostles round the apse in the inner Shrine of Saint Jude are by Anthony Foster. The design was based on the Malmesbury Apostles, and Saint Paul has been substituted for Judas Iscariot. A lot of the symbols above are included with their Apostle. Please see the PDF on images below.

Each drawing should include the name of the pupil (first name only), class, and school code on the back of the picture. The school code is on this letter and is unique to the school: this is to allow for anonymity.  Inevitably there will be children with the same first name, please only add an initial for their surname then (e.g., Kevin A).  These drawings should be sent together with the details of the school contact included. We will only make contact through the school contact.

There are six judges, including the Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Rev. John Wilson; the Prior Provincial of the British Province of Carmelites, the Very Rev. Fr. Kevin Alban, O.Carm, and four others (friars and lay people). Each will judge anonymously.

• Images of the Apostles at the Shrine of Saint Jude
• Schools form to enter competition
• Full Prize Draw & Conditions
• Poster
• Invited schools