Catholic Schools Start Year with Opening Mass and Awards
August 18, 2014
WASHINGTON – Catholic school principals, teachers and staff from across the Archdiocese of Washington gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception today to open the school year with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Barry C. Knestout, auxiliary bishop of Washington.
“The work of encountering Christ and sharing his love and the story of his good news with others unfolds in a special way every day at the 95 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Washington,” said Bishop Knestout. “In an ever increasing secular world, our teachers and principals live and teach the faith through their strong witnesses both in the classroom and in their everyday lives. They help lay a foundation in faith and academics that allows their students to meet any challenges they may face in the future. That foundation is on the rock, that is, upon Christ.”
“Just as parents choose Catholic education for their children, these teachers and principals have chosen Catholic education as their vocation,” Bishop Knestout continued. “It is a privilege to recognize the milestone anniversaries being celebrated today as they illustrate the Archdiocese of Washington’s faith-filled history of passing on Christ’s Gospel from generation to generation through Catholic education.
Following the Mass, interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools Kelly Branaman recognized teachers and principals celebrating more than 25 years of service as well as schools marking significant anniversaries.
Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Washington open on Monday, August 25. There are 95 early learning, elementary and secondary Catholic schools serving more than 27,000 students in the District of Columbia and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland.
Below is a list of schools marking special anniversaries this year, followed by the list of Catholic school educators commemorating significant years of service with the schools in the Archdiocese of Washington.
Schools
90 years St. John School, Hollywood, Md.*
75 years St. Francis Xavier Academy, Washington, D.C.
60 years Annunciation Catholic School, Washington, D.C.
60 years Father Andrew White, S.J. School, Leonardtown, Md.
60 years St. Mary Catholic School, Landover Hills, Md.
50 years Bishop McNamara High School, Forestville, Md.
50 years Mother Catherine Spalding School, Mechanicsville, Md.
50 years St. Elizabeth Catholic School, Rockville, Md.
Educators
60 Years
Sister Kathleen Lannak, I.H.M.
St. John the Evangelist School, Silver Spring, Md.
50 Years
Sandy Bock
St. Vincent Pallotti High School, Laurel, Md.
45 Years
Howard Dent
St. Pius X Regional School, Bowie, Md.
Sister Joyce Marks
St. Mary of the Assumption School, Upper Marlboro, Md.
Sister Doreen Willis, I.H.M.
St. John the Evangelist School, Silver Spring, Md.
40 Years
Fr. Damian Anuszewski, O.SS.T.
DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, Md.
Joseph Carroll
DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, Md.
35 Years
Zetha Ballinger
DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, Md.
Patricia Bulcavage
St. Columba School, Oxon Hill, Md.
Barbara Costa
Archbishop Neale School, La Plata, Md.
Matthew Goyette
Bishop McNamara High School, Forestville, Md.
Lolita Jardeleza
The Academy of the Holy Cross, Kensington, Md.
Richard Messier
DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, Md.
Carole Sue Murphy
The Academy of the Holy Cross, Kensington, Md.
Patricia Pieper
St. Peter School, Waldorf, Md.
Christine Sartori
Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, D.C.
Janet Schrom
St. Pius X Regional School, Bowie, Md.
30 Years
William C. Clark
DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, Md.
Barbara “Bobbi” Demma
Holy Cross School, Garrett Park, Md.
Kathy Link
Bishop McNamara High School, Forestville, Md.
Linda Maloney
Father Andrew White, S.J. School, Leonardtown, Md.
Dr. Daniel J. McMahon
DeMatha Catholic High School, Hyattsville, Md.
Karen Timmons
Our Lady, Star of the Sea School, Solomons, Md.
Mary E. Whelan
St. Peter School, Olney, Md.
Lizzie Flavin
Holy Redeemer School, Kensington, Md.
25 Years
Linda Bourne
Archbishop Neale School, La Plata, Md.
Laura Brown
Mount Calvary Catholic School, Forestville, Md.
Marco J. Clark
Bishop McNamara High School, Forestville, Md.
Angelina Diehlmann
Bishop McNamara High School, Forestville, Md.
Teri Dwyer
St. Raphael School, Rockville, Md.
Nina Gass
St. Vincent Pallotti High School, Laurel, Md.
Deanna Greenfield
Our Lady, Star of the Sea School, Solomons, Md.
Cheryl Kimm
St. Peter School, Waldorf, Md.
Sheila Martinez
Our Lady of Victory School, Washington, D.C.
Robin Marton
St. Vincent Pallotti High School, Laurel, Md.
Betty Jo Scott
Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, D.C.
*St. John School in Hollywood celebrated its 90th anniversary during the 2013-2014 school year.
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The Archdiocese of Washington is home to over 620,000 Catholics, 139 parishes and 95 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.
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Chieko Noguchi or Sheridan Watson
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