The Cardinal Joseph Tobin Essay and Video Contest is an annual initiative run by the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office of Priestly Vocations. This year's winner of the prestigious contest has a remarkable story.

The winner is Dominic Auricchio, a student at Holy Trinity School in Westfield, New Jersey. The beginning of his essay shows his take on the importance of the priesthood:

“The Roman Catholic priesthood is important to me because it is a way of following God and helping other people grow closer to Him. A priest does not just do a job; he lives a life for God. He shares God’s Word, celebrates the sacraments, and cares about people in every part of their lives. When I watch the priest at Mass, I see someone giving his whole life to serving God and loving others, and that is the kind of life I want to live.

“For as long as I can remember, I have felt that God is calling me to be a priest. I did not always understand it when I was younger, but as I have gotten older, I realize being a priest means loving people the way Jesus loved them. Jesus cared about everyone, especially people who were left out, sick, or treated differently. He talked to the woman at the well, healed the man with leprosy, and spent time with people others avoided. A priest continues that same mission today by being there for everyone, especially people who feel alone.”

The contest, started eight years ago and open to all seventh graders across the Archdiocese’s Catholic schools and parish religious education programs, has two parts. First, students submit a 500- to 1,000-word essay describing why priests are important. After a panel selects the top three essays, the second round entails creating a 3- to 4-minute video on the same theme. A separate panel of judges with video production expertise then picks the winning video. 

Sean Quinn, Public Relations and Communications Manager for the Archdiocese of Newark, shared his impression of this year’s winner with Aleteia:

“At 4 years old, Dominic Auricchio says, he heard God’s voice call him to become a priest. Five years later, after being diagnosed with a brain mass, Dominic says he saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary, who assured him everything would be okay. Soon afterward, the mass began to shrink.

"Now 13, Dominic is more determined than ever to enter the priesthood. Beyond working as an altar server, he volunteers at a soup kitchen, donates money to the poor, and serves as a 'buddy' to a child with autism. He does so because, as he explained in his award-winning essay, Dominic’s health struggles taught him what it means to feel different, which has inspired him to dedicate his life to bringing hope and comfort to others.”

Dominic's winning video is available here. Quinn said there were 49 entries and Auricchio’s “essay and video scored significantly higher than the other entrants.” His was the only entry from his school.

Courtesy of the Archdiocese of Newark and Auricchio Family

Father Patrick Seo, the Archdiocese of Newark’s director of priestly vocations, presented Dominic with his plaque at a gathering attended by Dominic’s family and fellow students at Holy Trinity School in Westfield.

Dominic's parish priest at St. Helen Parish in Westfield, Monsignor Tom Nydegger, told Aleteia that the boy's honor is “very encouraging for him and for us as a parish,” although he wasn’t surprised given the “fantastic” quality of the young man’s entries.

The monsignor has served the parish for six years, but the Auricchios' history at St. Helen’s goes back to Dominic’s mother Maria who grew up going to the parish. Maria and Neal Auricchio were married at St. Helen’s in 2010 and she now serves as the parish’s Coordinator of Adult Discipleship. They have three sons — ages 10 to 16 — Vincenzo, Dominic, and Maximo, a nod to her strong Italian heritage.

Monsignor Nydegger spoke highly of the family’s commitment to the Church. He said the parents are “faithful and very supportive of their children,” who are all altar servers. 

Courtesy of the Archdiocese of Newark and Auricchio Family

Speaking directly about Dominic, the pastor noted that he sees the young man’s openness and attraction to the priesthood. “I think he has all the indicators so far of someone who’s tracking toward a vocation.” 

He acknowledged, “Whether that happens or not is in God’s hands,” but sees the importance of encouragement and continued discernment. He also affirmed the maturity he sees in Dominic, who has had to face illness and struggle from a young age, including seizures, the cause for which doctors were not able to pinpoint.

“He’s come through them with a kind of steadiness that you don’t see in many kids his age …he’s serene, peaceful.” 

When Aleteia spoke directly with Dominic and Maria, the boy shared that his initial reaction to winning the contest was feeling “surprised and excited.” He said “it was really cool” to know that people read his essay and listened to what he had to say about his faith. 

“It made me feel like maybe God was giving me a little sign to keep listening to where he’s calling me.”

Maria recalled how she watched the smile on her son’s face grow from ear to ear as he read through the congratulatory email -- how proud he was in that moment and how things have unfolded since then. 

Responding to how she and her husband instill in their children the desire to pursue a personal relationship with God and to follow wherever he leads, she said they have tried to make the faith a normal part of everyday life. This includes consistently attending Mass as a family and praying together at night. 

Courtesy of the Archdiocese of Newark and Auricchio Family

Passing faith along to the next generation resonates with Dominic’s mother. She is grateful for the faith she and Neal received from their own parents, even if they admittedly strayed from its practice after high school. As a couple, they returned and sought the sacrament of marriage. “Then when we had kids, it was definitely something we wanted to give them as a foundation.”

Dominic commented how supported he feels by his parents in the calling he has experienced. From them, he’s learned to trust God, “that whatever happens, even when things get hard (like having a seizure) I can pray and they also help me to be able to talk about my faith.”

Mother and son shared that no one expected the kind of attention his entries and the win have garnered. Dominic said he feels he’s handling it with gratitude for the chance to help others grow in their own faith, but “wants other kids to know that you don’t have to have everything figured out … I definitely don’t."

Careful not to put words in her son’s mouth, Maria noted all the attention has seemed “a little overwhelming at times.” Dominic assented and she shared, in her own experience, the joy of seeing her son be an inspiration to others. 

“I feel like this is also a way for him, if there’s somebody else who is maybe going through a difficult time or struggling, that he can be an inspiration for that person to get through …” His simple openness to share about his difficulties makes honest prayer a relatable reality. 

She praised Dominic’s brothers — both very aware of the extra attention their brother has been getting lately — for also handling it very well, without any  jealousy. “They’re so wonderful … just happy for him and think it’s great that he can help others in some way … Such a great way for them to be looking at this, because it wasn’t something Dominic was expecting.” 

Dominic’s essay concludes with a mature understanding of the importance of the sacraments as signs of God’s love reaching out into our daily lives. It showcases how faith grows in children at home and can be cultivated for lives of holiness, whatever God’s concrete calling might be. 

“The priesthood matters because the world needs people who show love, faith, and hope. A priest helps people know that God cares about them personally. He baptizes, forgives sins, celebrates the Eucharist, comforts the sick, and guides people through important moments in their lives. Most of all, he reminds people that they are never alone.

“I do not know exactly where God will lead me, but I trust that He is guiding me step by step. I want my life to help others know they are loved by God. The Roman Catholic priesthood is a life of service, sacrifice, and joy centered on Jesus. That is why I believe God is calling me to become a priest, and why I hope to answer that call one day.”

The Archdiocese of Newark’s vocations outreach website, newarkpriest.com, offers a wealth of insight, inspiration, and practical ideas for parents to foster an environment that supports listening and responding to God’s call, every day.

The resources for parents recall this important challenge: “Everyone’s first vocation is to holiness, so parents should strive to create a home environment where Christian virtue can flourish.” 

A summary of what is shared includes:

• Showing children a good example of a holy marriage.
• Speaking openly of vocations to marriage, priesthood and religious life, and praying for vocations at family meals.
• Looking for answers to faith questions together and reading stories of the saints. 
• Choosing movies to watch that portray Catholic heroes and saints, having meaningful conversations about their examples. Setting the record straight about what leads to real happiness when children encounter depictions of sexuality that are “opposed to authentic love.”
• Attending an ordination in person and inviting consecrated persons and priests into the home.
• Always speaking with respect for clergy and the Church.
• Normalizing what can seem to be “other-worldly vocations” by role-playing and dressing up as priests, religious and saints and imaginative play with the sacraments and lives of the saints. 
• Read and discuss Bible stories of Mary’s response to God and Jesus’ calling of the apostles.

Another helpful page addresses numerous “myths” like the difficulty of celibacy, a child being too young to know God’s call, and a life of dedication to God being lonely. 

The “Ideas for Parents” page quotes Pope St. John Paul II’s perspective,

“Parents, give thanks to the Lord if he has called one of your children to the consecrated life. It is to be a great honor, as it always has been, that the Lord should look upon a family and choose to invite one of its members to set out on the path of the evangelical counsels. Cherish the desire to give the Lord one of your children so that Gid’s love can spread in the world. What fruit of conjugal love could be more beautiful than this?”