Mission box design winners for 2026 announced

Fr Michael Pui, national director of The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) in Aotearoa New Zealand, was very pleased to receive nearly triple the number of entries in 2026 compared with last year’s inaugural competition. Two homeschooled students were among this year’s entrants.

The winning entries in 2026 were judged by an independent panel of educators, who appreciated the creativity of the entries.

They judged the winners for 2026 to be: Primary School: Vivian Nguyen (year 7/8), St Joseph’s School, Papanui, Christchurch; Secondary School: Angel Siju (year 9), Sacred Heart College, Napier. They won prizes of $100 and $150, respectively, as well as a certificate.

Fr Pui re-introduced the “mission box” in schools and some parishes as a means to raise awareness among young Catholics. The box acts as a double focal point: “faith raising” and “fund raising”.

The contest requires the students to design three sides of the box and to incorporate the theme and logo chosen by Pope Leo XIV for World Mission Sunday 2026: “One in Christ, United in Mission.”

The contest was open to both primary and secondary Catholic schools, but it was also extended to home-schooled children this year.

Although it was not part of the contest prize, Fr Pui decided to gift each entry a “Mission Rosary”. The beads for each decade have different colours representing the five continents supported by TPMS.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of World Mission Sunday being made a global event by Pope Pius XI.

FULL STORY

Winners 2026 Design the Mission Box Contest (MissioNZ)