Hundreds of Catholic educators gathered in prayer at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Aug. 25 for the annual Opening of Schools Mass. Washington Auxiliary Bishop Juan Esposito celebrated the votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, which launched the academic year for teachers, principals and staff of Catholic schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. Together, they prayed for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in their mission of Catholic education.
In his homily, Bishop Esposito reflected on the role of Catholic schools in forming not only minds but also hearts, particularly through fostering authentic relationships.
“The beginning of the school year, by tradition, is met with mixed emotions,” he said. While students leave behind the carefree days of summer, they also return to friendships and community. That, he explained, is central to Catholic education: “We are inherently social beings who are made for relationships and community. We are interdependent beings, created for one another.”
He contrasted that vision of solidarity with a culture that often prizes individualism and isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic, he said, underscored the harm caused by separation, while social media and artificial intelligence pose new challenges.
Quoting Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti, the bishop noted that while digital interactions may resemble community, they can “impede the development of authentic interpersonal relationships.” He cautioned that AI, in particular, risks spreading falsehoods or manipulating reality. “The Church wants to keep humanity human,” he said.
Turning to the mission of Catholic education, Bishop Esposito stressed that teaching goes beyond academics.
“This involves not only excellence in mathematics, languages, arts, science, technology, vocational skills, and extracurricular activities,” he said, “but also the formation of the whole person, spiritually, yes of course, but also socially.”
Christian faith, he explained, is not simply “a belief system, much less a set of rules,” but an encounter with Jesus Christ, “the Lord who gives life its decisive direction, and who reveals the meaning of the human person to him or herself.”
Citing the day’s Gospel reading from the Sermon on the Mount, he reminded educators that the Beatitudes reveal how God calls people to live. “Teaching and nurturing the essence of the Beatitudes is more important than any academic endeavor or professional skill,” he said. “The greatest success is sharing in the Kingdom.”
During the liturgy, Bishop Esposito commissioned teachers, asking if they would commit themselves as missionary disciples in service to the Church’s mission. Together they responded, “I do.”
LaSandra Hayes, the principal of St. Mary’s School in Landover Hills, Maryland, and the president of the archdiocese’s Elementary School Principals Association, served as lector, and 2025 Golden Apple Award winner Shelly Taguchi, a Pre-K3 teacher at Our Lady of Victory School in Washington, read the prayers of the faithful.
At the offertory, the gifts were presented by three new principals serving local Catholic schools – Dr. Coretta Streat of the Academy of St. Matthias the Apostle in Lanham, Michelle Moreno-Ali of St. Mary’s School of Piscataway in Clinton, and Meredith Mirkow of Little Flower School in Bethesda.
After Communion, educators marking 25 to 45 years of service were honored, along with schools celebrating anniversaries from 40 to 120 years. Each school marking a milestone anniversary received a framed papal blessing signed by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio, imparting the Holy Father’s blessing on their school communities.
Before presenting awards to the schools marking anniversaries, Kelly Branaman, the archdiocese’s Secretary for Catholic Schools and Superintendent of Schools, spoke of the year’s theme, “Anchored in Hope.”
Quoting Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure,” she encouraged educators to remain rooted in Christ as the foundation of their work.
“‘Anchored in Hope’ is not merely a phrase,” Branaman said. “It is the foundation on which we stand, the compass that guides our mission, and the light that draws us forward together in Christ.”
She praised teachers, catechists and staff for their “remarkable ministry of dedication and servant leadership,” welcoming both long-serving educators and those new to the archdiocese. “As the doors of our Catholic schools swing open this fall, welcoming back students with bright smiles, crisp uniforms and backpacks full of possibility, we do so rooted in the truth that has carried us through every challenge and triumph: that our hope is in Christ.”
For those on the front lines of Catholic education, the bishop’s words resonated.
Breckin Walsh, who teaches middle school math and science at St. Martin of Tours School in Gaithersburg, said his hope for students this year is that they grow in their Catholic faith, particularly in how they treat one another.
“Too often students interact with peers as if they were anonymous faces online,” Walsh said. “It’s important they learn the Golden Rule, to treat others as Christ would.”
Ashley Lewis, the principal of St. Mary’s School in Upper Marlboro, said her community emphasizes interpersonal relationships, a strength she sees as essential to Catholic identity. Alumni returning to speak with current students, she added, offer a testimony to the school’s “community first” culture.
In his closing remarks, Bishop Esposito thanked those who sustain Catholic education in the archdiocese. He praised Branaman and her team in the Catholic Schools Office, along with pastors, whom he described as “the bridge between the school and the parish, between the pastoral and spiritual world and the daily life of the school.” He also expressed gratitude to principals, teachers, parish representatives, archdiocesan Chancellor Terry Farrell, secretariat leaders, and operations and facilities staff.
He concluded by thanking the staff and choir of the basilica and the choir from Blessed Sacrament School in Washington, led by director Jeanette Berry, for providing music during the Mass.
Bishop Esposito then reminded educators of the sacred trust of their vocation. “This is the role entrusted to you as teachers, educators and administrators in the formation of students,” he said. “Everyone in this archdiocese is profoundly grateful that you have chosen to be ministers of our God.”
As the liturgy ended, he left them with a final charge: “We must ask the Holy Spirit to come upon us, anoint us with His grace, and do the rest.”
Link to related article:
Catholic schools and educators honored for milestone anniversaries at Opening of Schools Mass
