All-Iowa Religion Bee focuses on Catholic faith
August 13, 2024
It won't be long before Catholic school students in the Diocese of Des Moines are studying for the second annual Religion Bee.
Would you know the answers to these questions?
- “What happened to Pharoah with each plague God sent?”
- “What could you do to live out the Corporal Work of Mercy to bury the dead?
- “What do we call the Mass where the oils used throughout the year are blessed?”
- “How many tribes of Israel were there?”
- “In the Bible, which book follows the four gospels?”
The middle school students in our diocesan Catholic schools were faced with questions like these as a part of the inaugural Religion Bee competition last spring.
Beginning in January, middle school students from our Catholic schools began their preparations. This started with a preliminary quiz. After the quiz, the top scorers at each school participated in a school Religion Bee. Many of the school bees were held during Catholic Schools Week as one of the events to celebrate the week. The top four finishers at each school would be participating in the Diocesan Religion Bee on March 22.
Forty-four students from 11 of our middle schools gathered at St. Pius X to compete in our first annual middle school Religion Bee and answer questions about our Catholic faith. They were joined by a roomful of parents, grandparents, and teachers who were there to support and encourage their efforts. After an hour and half and nearly 150 questions, our diocesan team of five students had been assembled. Our team, consisting of students from three different schools, would represent the Diocese of Des Moines in Cedar Rapids for the inaugural Iowa Catholic School Religion Bee on April 26.
Our students and everyone with them, were excited, a little bit nervous, and ready to give it their best. On the stage in the Xavier High School auditorium, the teams from each of the four dioceses in Iowa took their places and were ready to begin.
At the school and diocesan bees, students answered questions individually but at the state bee, the students worked together as a team. If they answered incorrectly, they had to wait for the next question to try to earn points. The team from the Diocese of Des Moines made it through the first two rounds and were able to compete in the championship round.
Our diocesan team and the team from the Archdiocese of Dubuque answered questions neck and neck in the final round, and suddenly, it was a tied match. If the next question could be answered after the first clue, that team would win. Those in the audience held their breath as the question was read, “Which saint was known as a ‘big, dumb ox’ by his peers?” It seemed the teams buzzed in at the exact same time and the correct answer was given, “St. Thomas Aquinas.”
At the end of the bee, the Des Moines diocesan state Religion Bee team placed as runner-up. Throughout the entire process, the middle school students represented their schools and our Diocese well. Each student put their best effort forward and each one was gracious whether they got the answer correct or not.
Our Catholic schools thank the students, who made us proud in your efforts and knowledge of the faith. The schools are grateful to the parents, who chose Catholic schools for their children and who supported them in this opportunity. Thank you to the teachers, whose witness and energy helped prepare the students for the school, diocesan, and state bees!