Heroic Men Sponsors 2026 “Saints & Sagas,” a Short Story Contest for Catholic Storytellers
The Catholic LegendHaven Convention seeks to publish 10 Stories, with 100% Royalties Paid to Authors
LegendHaven has opened submissions for its 2026 Easter writing contest, “Saints & Sagas,” a national call for short stories about Catholic saints written for teens.
The contest invites Catholic writers ages 16 to 165 to submit original works between 2,000 and 3,000 words focusing on a single moment in the life of a saint.
The host, Dominic de Souza, says the goal is to reintroduce historic figures of the Church as vivid, courageous protagonists whose choices carried real risk and consequence.
“We want stories that feel real and alive,” said Dominic de Souza, from Heroic Men and contest host. “Many saints can seem distant or frozen in stained glass. In reality, they faced fear, uncertainty and impossible odds. Teens deserve stories that capture that tension and inspire courage.”
Dominic de Souza works fulltime for Heroic Men as their director of marketing, and hosts the Heroic Stories show.
Here’s what Chris Mann, Heroic Men’s director of operations, says about the contest:
Youth today need heroes who choose courage when things get hard, and the saints lived that kind of bravery. The Saints & Sagas contest calls authors to tell those stories again, so others can see what true heroism looks like. And want to live it too.
The top 10 entries will be published together in a print-on-demand anthology. 100% of sales royalties will be automatically paid to the authors in perpetuity. Each finalist will also receive a printed copy of the book.
Author Lisa M. Hendey, known for the Chime Travelers series, praised the initiative, saying it promises “exciting new stories and promising new voices for a culture greatly in need of powerful entertainment.”
To enter, participants join a free space in the LegendFiction community. This allows participants to meet each other, see other entries, and share feedback together.
Partners willing to support the contest and share the news with their audiences will have their logo added to the website, and a link to your site. They will receive public acknowledgment and recognition in the published volume.
The submission deadline is Sunday, May 31st, 2026. Additional guidelines and contest rules are available on the website.
The LegendHaven Convention describes itself as the friendliest online fiction convention in the galaxy, dedicated to helping faith-inspired indie fiction authors connect with readers, and find newfound friends.
It is run by the LegendFiction community, the coolest community of storytellers in the world, with a creative writing school and marketing mastermind to help indie fiction authors write their dream novel, sell more books, and grow their author brands.
Dominic believes that storytelling is a form of missionary evangelization. With many young storytellers exploring their vocation in the arts, we need a million new stories and creative worlds to inspire the rest of us.
He works for a restoration of meaning, morality, myth, and magic to the stories we tell, so that we can build a future we believe in.
Let’s inspire heroic faith in our youth!
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