The Catholic division of the Georgia Federal Credit Union is holding an essay contest to find the recipient of the 2010 Archbishop-emeritus John F. Donoghue Scholarship, an annual scholarship that awards $1,500 to the first-place winner and $1,000 to the runner up. Senior high school students in the Archdiocese of Atlanta are invited to participate.

The maximum awards will be $2,500 for full-time students taking 12 or more credit hours per quarter or semester. The award can be used to help pay tuition, housing, books or meal costs and will be paid directly to the college/university or technical school by GFCU.

Applicants are required to submit a typed two-page double spaced essay. Keeping in mind the themes of Catholic social teaching, applicants are to write on the following topic: “In the encyclical Charity in Truth, Pope Benedict XVI mentions credit unions as an illustration of charitable love (section 65). How can credit union membership help you to be a responsible participant in today’s global economy?”

Judging will take place in mid-March and will be conducted by a judges panel selected by Georgia Federal Credit Union. Points will be tabulated to determine the winner. All decisions are final. The winners will be announced by April 1 in the GFCU’s quarterly newsletter and on the Web site.

Winners agree to have their names and photos published in press releases and in GFCU and Archdiocese of Atlanta publications where appropriate, along with excerpts from their essay submissions.

The scholarship is given in honor of Archbishop-emeritus John F. Donoghue. During his tenure, he demonstrated his commitment and support of Catholic education and was instrumental in opening five Catholic schools in the Archdiocese.

GFCU was established in 1958 as a teachers’ credit union. In late 2004, under the guidance of Archbishop John F. Donoghue, the Catholic division of GFCU was formed through a merger with Greater Atlanta Catholic Federal Credit Union.

Completed scholarship applications must be postmarked no later than March 1 and sent to: Georgia Federal Credit Union, Attn.: Hilda Zamora, Catholic Community Coordinator, 6705 Sugarloaf Parkway, Suite 100, Duluth, GA 30097.