The 21st National Youth Competition “Help save life for the defenceless” of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko aims to make among young people the sensitivity to the value of human life by promoting pro-life themes; to encourage young people to creatively think and uncover their artistic, journalistic, literary, film, and shaping among young people the imagination and ability to present the planet around them.
The competition starts on 19 October 2025, in memory of the liturgical Blessed Fr Jerzy Popiełuszko. “We chose him to be the patron of the competition, due to the fact that we can definitely call him the protector of human life. As a wellness minister, he met with doctors, nurses, midwives, and medical students. He devoted much attention to the protection of the lives of conceived children, so in time he was called “the cradle protector”. He said that «The task of the Church is not only to proclaim the sanctity of life, the right to unborn life, but besides the applicable defence of this law». gynecologist Emilia Paderewska-Chróscicki, mentioned that on the names of the card. Stefan Wyszynski brought him baby shoes made on knitting. The pro-life of Fr Popieluszko was besides very practical. He helped financially and organizationally single mothers and young pregnant girls who hesitated to have a baby. He was preparing food packages and baby expeditions, giving out medication. Let us remember that it was PRL. Fr. George's ceremony was besides significant. Marian Jabłoński, who spoke the farewell speech, called for the protection of all children conceived as Fr Jerzy would like. At the ceremony, they cried out 3 times: “We are marrying!”. I am convinced that the “wedding” of the young generation are thousands of pro-life works sent to the competition," said Magdalena Guziak-Nowak, manager of Education at the Polish Association of Defenders of Human Life.
– We want to strengthen good behaviour and form pro-life attitudes in younger participants of the competition. We besides want to show students from elder classes of over-basic schools that they are not the only pro-life and that their actions, their behaviors affect others," explains Magdalena Guziak-Nowak and cites an example of a competition movie based on a fictional script that saved a real child: – The movie titled "Model", shot by teenagers from Czestochowa, tells the communicative of a soldier and his wife between whom there is simply a quarrel. A man is sent on a peace mission without knowing that his wife is pregnant. A fewer weeks later, a female discovers that she has leukemia. She must make a decision which fight will be a precedence – for her or for the child. erstwhile the video went online, my parent from Białystok spoke to teenagers. She informed young creators that thanks to their movie she did not decide to have an abortion. There is more past with akin “success” in the background.
The competition takes place in 3 age groups: grades IV–VI and VII–VIII of primary school and all classes of secondary schools and in 3 artistic categories. Participants can prepare literary, artistic or multimedia work. The condition for participation in the competition is to prepare a work showing the value of all person's life. We advance affirmative education, affirming life. The submitted works should have a affirmative message and should not contain any drastic pictures, images or descriptions.
Every year, participants present their talents and extraordinary creativity. They paint with pencil, pastels and watercolors, with sculptures, drawing, sketching, cutting, peeling, eating, making collages and stained glass. They make movies, they make presentations, they make websites and computer games. They compose stories, memoirs, poems, and compose tunes for songwriting. They frequently perpetuate on their work mothers awaiting the birth of their children. They describe stories about adoption and foster parenting. The competition is besides a youth commentary on the bioethical issues raised in the social debate. Teachers and caregivers give concrete information on the arguments that young people usage in their discussions on bioethical topics and what is their value.
Work can be sent by 13 February 2026. The awards ceremony will be held on 21 March 2026 during the final gala in Czestochowa.
Detailed information, including the competition rules, can be found on the website contest.pro-life.pl. Works from last year's edition of the competition can be viewed Here..
Statements by the winners and awarded in last year's 21st National Youth competition "Help save life for the defenceless" by Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko:
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