PAWTUCKET – Amanda DeCesare says she was thrilled to learn that her original artwork has been selected from among hundreds of student offerings to bear the personal Christmas message of Bishop Thomas J. Tobin this year.
When Mary Carney, principal of Saint Teresa School in Pawtucket, informed her, “I was close to tears,” the eighth grader said. “It is such an honor to have Bishop Tobin select my drawing for his personal Christmas card.”
Students in grades 5-8 in 44 diocesan schools were invited to draw a scene depicting the holy season. Remarkably, a total of 593 entries were submitted for consideration in this, the eighth annual contest.
Struggling with the decision of deciding of what to draw, Amanda sought the advice of art teacher Joseph Hannon. She said she loved what they came up with because “it was so unique that I was sure no one else would think of the same thing.” She worked on the drawing during two class periods and finished it at home after another three hours.
Using a green crayon, she sketched a Christmas tree with carefully placed branches and long pine needles. There are no lights on the tree – no garland or tinsel either. There is just one round ornament hanging prominently from one of the branches. Within this solitary ornament, Amanda drew her interpretation of the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. On the right side of the drawing in large red letters is the word “Noel.”
Mary Carney commends all her students for sharing their gifts of time and talent. She was principal when another student, Sandra Lotero, received the first place prize for the 2005 contest.
“Amanda has many gifts and drawing is only one of them,” Carney said.
Anthony T. Gwiazdowski, director of the Office of Stewardship & Development, said that for him the response always underscores the Biblical prophecy, “and a child shall lead them.”
“Our children understand what good stewardship is,” he said. “Their sense of gratefulness is so overwhelming, and in a society that sometimes seems so consumed by ‘me,’ what these children share gives me great hope for the future.”
Amanda’s drawing will appear on the cover of Bishop Tobin’s Christmas card sent to all Bishop’s Partnership in Charity donors. In recognition of her achievement, Bishop Tobin presented Amanda with a $200 United States Savings Bond during her recent visit to his office at One Cathedral Square. There, the budding artist shared her dream of someday becoming a pharmacist. “But I would still like to draw in my spare time,” she assured.
