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Poster Contest
At the Daughters of the Holy Spirit U. S. A. Provincial House, in Putnam, judges consider the entries in the 2017-2018 Connecticut Knights of Columbus Vocation Poster Contest. Shown left to right are two of the four judges, Rev. Richard L. Archambault, a former superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Norwich; Immaculate Conception Convent Retreat Administrator Bernadette Vance; who was not a judge, and Sister Jaisy, of the Sisters of St. Martha. Photo: John D. Ryan


PUTNAM — It’s natural for children to think about what they’re going to do when they grow up, but they might not think about becoming a Catholic priest, a nun, a religious brother or a deacon. The Knights of Columbus is working to change that. The Connecticut State Council of the K of C sponsored a vocational poster contest among Catholic elementary and middle school-age children throughout the state.
This year, entrants were asked to make posters representing one or more life vocations in the Catholic Church, including marriage, the single life or being a priest, nun, deacon or a religious brother. A committee made up of three professed religious sisters and a priest met recently at the Daughters of the Holy Spirit U. S. A. Provincial House, in Putnam and selected the state’s three winners for 2017-2018. They are first- and second-grade winner Nathan Ballestrini, of Preston, third- and fourth-grade winner Isabella Somma of Norwalk, and seventh- and eighth-grade winner Felicia Crowley, of New Milford. “We need vocations. The priests and the nuns are important,” Archambault said. “It’s good to get young people dealing with this