Brothers James and Thomas Gigy, who are altar-servers at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Peterborough, both received awards certificates and cash prizes for their winning entries in the KSC essay-writing competition.
James wrote an essay on Faith which came first in the East Anglia Provincial Round for his age group of Key Stage Three.
Thomas wrote on Social Responsibility which was highly commended by East Anglia Province, though he was still technically too young for the KS3 competition then.
However, both entries were sent to the national finals for adjudication and – surprise, surprise – Thomas was judged the national winner. By then he was at High School, the right age for the competition.
Thomas received a prize of £75, a trophy mounted on a stone plinth with his name engraved, and earned his church and parish a Knights' donation of £200.
At the end of morning Epiphany Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, Brother Christopher Brooks, Past Provincial Grand Knight of East Anglia, congratulated James and Thomas on their achievements to the applause of the congregation.
The Gigy brothers were presented with their typed essay entries; Thomas given his trophy and the celebrant, Fr Adam Sowa, Parish Priest of St Peter and All Souls received the parish cheque.
Details for a 2018 Easter Scene Painting; Essay Composition and Prayer Composition, will be available in February, and East Anglia KSC are hoping for a good crop of entries.
The 2017 Primary Schools Nativity Painting Competition, which is currently being judged, attracted many good entries from Notre Dame Prep School Norwich, St. Francis of Assisi School Norwich and St. Mary's Primary School Lowestoft last Christmas.
Pictured are James and Thomas Gigy, Peterborough altar servers, with their family, Fr Adam Sowa and Bro Chris Brooks.