Posted February 25, 2015

Raquel Lacusky, a seventh grade student at St. Agnes School in West Chester, was recently named the winner of the national 2014 Maryknoll Student Essay Contest, which tasked her with writing a letter to Pope Francis.

Father Robert Jalbert, director of the Mission Promotion and Vocations Department at Maryknoll, New York, will concelebrate Mass Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. with Father Alfonso Concha, pastor of St. Agnes Parish, during which Father Jalbert will present Raquel with her prize.

St. Agnes Church is located at 231 West Gay Street in West Chester.

Raquel was named the first place winner for grades 6-8. Her essay assignment was to write a letter to Pope Francis, “telling him how you or young people you know have courage, go forward and make noise to build a better world.”

Raquel’s essay will be published in the May/June 2015 Issue of Maryknoll Magazine and her letter will be sent to Pope Francis by the publisher.