Award Ceremony of 2025 Admirabile Signum Macao Inter-school Nativity Competitionsuccessfully held

The award ceremony of 2025 Admirabile Signum Macao Inter-school Nativity Competition was successfully held on December 19, 2025 at 5 P.M., at the Screening Room of Centro Diocesano dos Meios de Comunicação Social (Centro de Comunicação "Shalom").  The Admirabile SignumNativity Competition has been held in Macao for many years, with active participation from schools. This year, the Associação Católica Cultural de Macau (ACCM) has expanded the event into an inter-school competition, funded by the Cultural Development Fund of the Macao SAR Government to promote this beautiful Christmas tradition. Distinguished guests presented at the award ceremony included Ms. Ieong Sio Lan, Acting Chief of the Division of Integrated Support of the Cultural Development Fund of the Macao SAR Government; Mr. Leong I On, Division Head of Secondary Education of Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macau SAR Government; Bishop Stephen Lee Bun Sang, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Macau and Chairman of ACCM, and other prestige guests.

The Christmas manger, portraying the birth of Jesus, is an important part of Christmas.  This year, ACCM is honored to have invited a panel of professional judges, who are local Macao Catholics andare distinguished in the fields of artistic creation and environmental protection.  The judging panel included Mr. Tomaz Mok, an internationally renowned legendary figure in the advertising industry; and Ms. Benvinda dos Santos, a local environmentalist and multimedia designer.

In his speech, Bishop Stephen Lee Bun Sang stated that Jesus was born in a humble manger, reaching out to the poor and those in need. He emphasized that Christmas should not focus solely on external decorations, but should invite the faithful to reflect on the true meaning of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Bishop also noted that 2026 will mark the 450th anniversary of the establishment of the Catholic Diocese of Macau. He expressed his hope that the Admirable Signum activity would continue to spread the Good News, just as missionaries once brought the Gospel to Macao.

A total of 15 schools participated in this event and the response was overwhelming. The “Judges' Award” went to Escola de Santa Madalena as the Champion; Sacred Heart Canossian College as the First Runner-up; Escola da Sagrada Família as the Second Runner-up; Honourable Mentions include Escola Concordia para Ensino Especial, Colégio Diocesano de São José 5, and Colégio Diocesano de São José 6.  The “Creative Theme Award” went to Escola Dom Luis Versiglia. The “Best Environmental Award” went to Instituto Salesiano.  The “Best Group Collaboration Award” went to Escola de Santa Teresa do Menino Jesus, and the “Internet Popularity Award” was awarded to Colégio de Santa Rosa de Lima - Secção Chinesa, which received the most likes/loves (468 votes from Facebook and Instagram), from a total of 2,818 votes from December 5, 2025 to December 14, 2025 in the event's Facebook and Instagram pages.

Realizing the vision set forth last year to elevate this activity into an inter-school competition, the 2025 Admirabile Signum Macao Inter-school Nativity Competition has now been successfully implemented. Thanks to the positive response and strong support from non-tertiary schools across Macao, this year's event successfully reached campuses, showcasing fruitful artistic achievements. ACCM hopes to continue promoting this precious Christmas tradition, enabling more students in Macao to understand and preserve these significant cultural values.

(The “Judges' Award”Champion - Escola de Santa Madalena)

"Admirabile Signum" Nativity Competition Page