Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy visited St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown on Dec. 3 to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the Xaverian Brothers religious order that sponsors the school. The liturgy served as the spiritual centerpiece of the school’s annual Founder’s Week celebration.
Founder’s Week, held Dec. 1–5, honors the legacies of St. Francis Xavier and Theodore James Ryken, founder of the Xaverian Brothers. At St. Mary’s Ryken, the week includes prayer, community activities, and opportunities to reflect on the Xaverian values of humility, compassion, trust, simplicity, and zeal. The St. Mary’s Ryken student body, which draws from across Southern Maryland and includes students of different faith traditions, gathered for the Mass, the highlight of the week’s observance.
During his homily, Cardinal McElroy reflected on the theme of trusting in God’s nearness, drawing on the story of Bethany Hamilton, a young championship surfer who survived a shark attack and later returned to the sport despite the loss of her arm. The cardinal recalled how, as she struggled to stay conscious in the ambulance, an emergency medical technician leaned over her and repeated the words that would shape her recovery and spiritual outlook: “Do not be afraid. You are not alone. God will never desert you.”
The cardinal connected her experience to the Gospel and to the apostles’ fear during Christ’s passion and ascension. “Christ promises that he will always be with us,” he said. “If there’s one thing you learn here and understand here about God’s relationship with you, it is what that ambulance driver said: ‘Do not be afraid. You are not alone. You will never be alone.’”
After the Mass, the school community honored theology teacher Luke Young as the 2025 Theodore James Ryken Award recipient, an annual recognition given to a faculty or staff member who exemplifies the Xaverian charism.
Dr. Glenn Wood II, president of St. Mary’s Ryken, presented the award, describing Young as “a wonderful example of what the Xaverian Brothers mean when they refer to finding holiness in the common, ordinary, unspectacular flow of everyday life.” He added, “It’s just doing the little things, day in and day out, that truly bring holiness. Thank you, Mr. Young, for being that example for our school community.”
Dr. Wood also extended gratitude to Cardinal McElroy for visiting the campus, as well as to priests from neighboring Southern Maryland parishes who served as concelebrants: Father Raymond Schmidt, pastor of St. John Regis Parish in Hollywood; Father Scott Woods, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in La Plata; and Father Joseph Cwik, pastor of Our Lady’s Church in Leonardtown. He also thanked the school’s choir, campus ministers and staff.
In his acceptance remarks, Young spoke with candor and humor about his nearly 16 years at the school and the impact the community has had on his life and vocation. “I’ve been told by students that I’ve been at Ryken longer than freshmen have been alive, which is quite true,” he said, noting that only two of his children were born before he began teaching at St. Mary’s Ryken.
“When someone spends so much time in one place, it becomes like a house,” he said. “Familiar, comfortable, sometimes filled with memories.” He thanked the faculty for their vote of confidence, his wife and children for their patience, and God for “His blessing on our school, St. Mary’s Ryken; His blessing on me, my family; and honestly all of you.”
Young reflected on how the Xaverian charism had shaped him personally, recalling when he first arrived, he knew little about St. Francis Xavier and nothing about Theodore James Ryken. Over the years, their writings and witness became central to his own spiritual growth.
“I realized that Theodore Ryken created a school in order to help those most in need,” he said. “And it’s not a platitude to say that when I first came to St. Mary’s Ryken, I had no idea that would probably be me.”
“This place becomes like a home,” he said. “I thank God for St. Mary’s Ryken, and I thank all of you for putting up with me on a day-to-day basis. God bless you all.”
The cardinal’s visit came during a busy first year in his role as the archbishop of Washington. One month after Cardinal McElroy’s installation here, Pope Francis died, placing Washington’s new archbishop among the world’s cardinals called to Rome for that pope’s funeral and the conclave that followed where Pope Leo XIV was elected as the new pontiff.
In August, Cardinal McElroy traveled to Japan, one of several commitments that shaped his early months as the archbishop of Washington. Since his installation, he has been visiting parishes across the District of Columbia and the five surrounding Maryland counties to hold listening sessions with lay leaders and priests with the intention of coming to know the local Church firsthand and gain insights from them about what should be the pastoral priorities in the archdiocese. In recent weeks, he has also been recovering from surgery, making his presence at St. Mary’s Ryken especially meaningful for the school community.
His message to students centered on God’s constant presence, a theme he repeated at the end of his homily.
“God never turns his back on us — no matter what we do or fail to do in our lives. That’s what our faith tells us. That’s what the Gospel tells us. Do not be afraid. You are not alone. And God will never desert you,” he said.
