Celebrating a 100th anniversary Mass for St. Anthony Catholic School on Nov. 20, Cardinal Wilton Gregory said the Mass was a dual celebration of the feast of Christ the King and the school’s anniversary year.
“We celebrate a year dedicated to reflecting on the wonderful gift that this Catholic school has been to this community and our archdiocese. We in the Archdiocese of Washington also want to shine a special light on the people whose generosity and dedication have made St. Anthony’s School so successful these past 100 years and those who more recently have helped restore the statue of St. Anthony,” Cardinal Gregory said.
The Mass for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe was filled with alumni and present students who participated in various roles during the liturgy, including bringing up the offertory gifts and reciting the readings.
During the homily, Cardinal Gregory noted how witnesses at Jesus’ crucifixion said, “Save yourself.” According to the cardinal, that would have been selfish of Jesus and not the sacrifice needed to save His followers.
“That was not Jesus’ way, then or even now. Self-interest is not proof of anything other than selfishness. But self-interest is the norm that all too often dominates our own ‘it’s all about me’ world. Jesus is not about Himself. He is the one for others, a very hard sell in our usually selfish world,” Cardinal Gregory said.
The program for the Mass included a link and QR code to donate to St. Anthony Catholic School, for their scholarship fund or gym renovation project.
Following Communion, students presented four posters at the front of the Mass, each filled with a collage of photos around themes the school was celebrating 100 years of, including faith, academics, service and family.
Thomasian then announced the two Servant Leader Awards to alumni who he said are “exemplary citizens, devoted Catholics, loving mothers, and have always remained faithful to their alma mater.”
The first honoree, MaryAnn Egan is from St. Anthony’s class of 1956. She was a teacher at Little Flower School and currently is a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, both in Bethesda. Despite her retirement, Egan has continued to keep in touch with her former students and the school, and still volunteers and teaches.
Mary Anne Fitzpatrick Barnes from the class of 1954 was the second honoree and could not attend the Mass in person due to snowstorms in upstate New York. Her daughter, Kathleen Barnes, accepted the award on behalf of her mother.
Also at the Mass, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a St. Anthony’s parishioner, read a proclamation congratulating the school on its 100th anniversary.
After the Mass, Cardinal Gregory blessed the new statue of St. Anthony outside of the school’s front office. The statue replaces one that was vandalized in August.
“We thank all those benefactors whose generosity has made it possible to again have an image of St. Anthony of Padua present in front of this school building. We bless this statue and present it for public veneration by the faithful,” Cardinal Gregory said.
Following the blessing of the statue, Mayor Bowser told the Catholic Standard, “For a Catholic school to celebrate 100 years is a blessing for the community and for the kids who go there, and a testament to the archdiocese’s support, and as a parishioner of St. Anthony’s, I am proud of the support that the church has given the school.”
In response to the vandalism the school experienced, the mayor said, “We are obviously very concerned about the rise of hateful rhetoric and acts anywhere in our city, the Mayor’s Office of Religious Affairs locks arms with all of our faith leaders to make sure that as a city, whether it’s a Catholic church or a synagogue, that we are speaking against hate.”
Bowser, who graduated from the Catholic, private all-girls school Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Maryland, explained how she balances her role as a politician and a lifelong Catholic.
“I see them as separate, and personal faith decisions as separate from my role as a leader, certainly I take faith into the decisions I make, but my personal faith decisions are just that,” Bowser said.
On March 23, St. Anthony Catholic School will host its 100th Anniversary Gala at the nearby St. Francis Hall at the Franciscan Monastery.
