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St. Anthony Catholic School celebrates centennial Mass and cardinal’s blessing of their new statue of patron saint

After celebrating a Nov. 20 Mass for the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington on Nov. 20, 2022, Cardinal Wilton Gregory blesses a new statue of St. Anthony outside the school that replaces one that was vandalized in August. At right is D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a member of St. Anthony’s Parish who attended the Mass. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)

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. 

St. Anthony Catholic School students hand out programs for the Nov. 20, 2022 Mass celebrating their school’s 100th anniversary. Cardinal Wilton Gregory celebrated the Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Washington, D.C. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)

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.

In the photo above, eighth grader Ebuka Mbarah reads the second Scripture reading at the Nov. 20 Mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington, D.C. In the photo below, students from St. Anthony Catholic School sing in a choir during the Mass. Playing the piano at left is Lynne Gray, the music ministry director at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Washington. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)

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. 

Cardinal Wilton Gregory celebrates a Nov. 20 Mass for the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington on Nov. 20, 2022. Concelebrating the Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church was Father Fred Close, at left, the parish’s pastor. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)

 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. 

In the photo above, during a Nov. 20 Mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington, students processed to the altar carrying posters with photo collages illustrating the school’s faith, academics, service and families over the years. Those students included, from left to right, third grader Cecilia Njoku, second grader Aiden Greene and eighth grader Madison Ferguson. The students presented the posters to Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the main celebrant of the anniversary Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church. In the photo below, the cardinal receives a poster from Aiden Greene. At center is Madison Ferguson, and at right is Cecilia Njoku. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)

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.

At left, Michael Thomasian, the principal of St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington, speaks during a Nov. 20 Mass celebrating the school’s 100th anniversary. At right is Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the main celebrant of the anniversary Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Church. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)
In the photo above, Michael Thomasian, the principal of St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington, embraces MaryAnn Egan, who received a Servant Leader Award during a Nov. 20 Mass celebrating the school’s 100th anniversary. Egan, a 1956 graduate of St. Anthony School and a 1960 graduate of its former high school, taught at Little Flower School in Bethesda. Also honored with a Servant Leader Award for her strong support of St. Anthony Catholic School was Mary Anne Fitzpatrick Barnes, a 1954 graduate of St. Anthony School and a 1958 graduate of St. Anthony High School who could not attend the anniversary Mass because of a snowstorm in upstate New York. In the photo below, Thomasian presents Mary Anne Barnes’ award to her daughter Kathleen Barnes. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)

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. 

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a member of St. Anthony’s Parish in Washington, speaks at a Nov. 20 Mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony Catholic School. At the Mass, she read a proclamation congratulating the school on its anniversary. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)

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.

Second grader Aiden Greene prays during the Nov. 20 Mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)

On March 23, St. Anthony Catholic School will host its 100th Anniversary Gala at the nearby St. Francis Hall at the Franciscan Monastery.

During a Nov. 20 Mass for the 100th anniversary of St. Anthony Catholic School in Washington, Father Fred Close at right, St. Anthony’s pastor, blesses first grader Aruokhai Okhumale. At left is Alexis Boswell, another first grader. (CS photo/Mihoko Owada)
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