The Diocese of Sacramento’s Catholic Schools Department recently hosted its Annual Religion Competition for 5th and 6th grade students, a joyful celebration of faith, learning, and collaboration.
Open to Catholic schools across the diocese, the competition brought together student teams who spent months preparing through prayer, study, and teamwork. Each school was represented by a six-student team comprised of three fifth graders and three sixth graders, all eager to demonstrate their growing knowledge of the Catholic faith.
This year’s competition challenged students to engage deeply with a wide range of essential topics, including Catholic prayers and sacraments, the liturgical year and Holy Days of Obligation, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, the Mass, the Beatitudes, the Ten Commandments, virtues and parables, Catholic Social Teaching, and the lives of Pope Leo XIV, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, and St. Carlo Acutis.
The event unfolded in three distinct and dynamic parts. Students first completed an individual written test, with each student taking the same exam and their combined scores contributing to their team’s total. Next came a team activity, which this year focused on Pope Leo XIV and the Mysteries of the Holy Rosary, encouraging collaboration and shared reflection. The competition concluded with a lively Super Quiz, a fast-paced, 40-question challenge in which teams worked together to provide a single answer for each question.
Awards were presented for top individual scores, alternates, and the overall highest-scoring teams. The Diocese congratulates the following schools for their outstanding performance:
First Place: Holy Trinity School, El Dorado Hills
Second Place: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, Elk Grove
Third Place: Holy Spirit School, Fairfield
Beyond scores and rankings, the competition offered a powerful witness to the fruits of Catholic education. Students demonstrated not only academic knowledge, but also reverence, confidence, and a joyful commitment to their faith.
The Diocese of Sacramento is proud of every student who participated and grateful to the educators and families who support them.