With a dress-down day, students at St. John the Baptist School in Silver Spring provided a lift up for the Annual Catholic Services Appeal of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
The St. John the Baptist School students wore casual clothes instead of their school uniforms on that day, and they donated $625 for the annual appeal.
“We are deeply grateful to the students, parents, faculty, and staff of St. John the Baptist School. Through their generosity, they are supporting the ministries of the Church throughout the Archdiocese,” said Mary Simboski, the Secretary for Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Washington.
The appeal supports more than 70 ministries throughout the archdiocese, including educational and charitable outreach; support for seminary education and for clergy and religious; chaplains at universities, hospitals and prisons; communications and evangelization outreach; and parish, family and life ministries.
On April 21, Father Andrew Wakefield, the pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, led students in morning prayer as the school day started, and speaking over the intercom, read a letter that he had just received from Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy thanking the students for their support of the appeal.
In the letter, the cardinal thanked St. John the Baptist students for their “incredible and creative effort in raising money in support of the Annual Catholic Services Appeal.”
Commending the students for their generosity, Cardinal McElroy said, “You have made a meaningful difference. Your gift to the Appeal helps, among other things, to care for those in need by providing food for the hungry and care for the vulnerable, ensures that other young people can receive a Catholic education, and it provides support for families facing difficulties.”
Washington’s archbishop in the letter encouraged the students to continue to live out their faith in Jesus by loving and serving people in need.
“By virtue of our Baptism, we are called to use our gifts and talents to build up the Kingdom of God, and I encourage you to ask the Lord to guide you on the path of discipleship He sets before you,” the cardinal wrote, adding, “Your kindness beautifully reflects the message of the Gospel, especially in the words of Jesus: ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40). In serving others, you are truly living our faith in Jesus Christ. In a world that is so often uncertain and in need of hope, young people like you offer a powerful reminder that leadership rooted in virtue can make a real and lasting difference.”
Concluding the letter to the students, Cardinal McElroy wrote, “May the Lord bless you abundantly, and may the Holy Spirit guide your steps always.”
Before the dress-down day at the school, Father Wakefield sent a letter to parents, telling students that donations that they would bring for the annual appeal that day would be supporting many good works, including helping families in need and “sharing the faith with other kids throughout the region… As a family of faith, we are connected with people throughout the Archdiocese of Washington, and we are called to share our gifts, talents and treasures to build God’s kingdom.”
The pastor also noted that “our school benefits directly from the appeal, particularly with financial assistance for many of our families,” and he added that as a priest, he had benefitted from the appeal, which supports seminarians studying for the priesthood.
The school’s principal, Brian Blomquist, also promoted the dress-down day fundraiser for the annual appeal in his communications with school families.
Later after the St. John the Baptist School students responded so generously to the annual appeal, Father Wakefield noted that “our school seems to be in the midst of a rejuvenation and deepening of our Catholic faith.”
The priest pointed out that a number of students there who were not Catholic have sought to either be baptized or make a profession of faith, with the support of their families who are not Catholic. In addition, some school parents have participated or plan to participate in classes in preparation of becoming Catholic. Other students in the school are catching up with their sacraments, the priest noted.
Father Wakefield said there seems to be greater engagement with many of the St. John the Baptist students in the life of the parish, including through the Youth Chorale that sings at a Sunday Mass there once a month. He added that more school families seem to be regularly attending Mass.
“We are a richly diverse school, and it has been deeply gratifying for me to see the Holy Spirit at work in inviting our students and their families into a deeper relationship with Christ,” the priest said.
According to the archdiocese’s web page for the 2026 Annual Catholic Services Appeal, commitments to the appeal so far total $7.32 million raised from 12,084 donors. The total includes online, in-pew and mailed gifts processed as of April 21. The appeal has a goal of $12 million for 2026, and donations can be made throughout the year.
(Information on supporting the Annual Catholic Services Appeal of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington can be found online at appeal.adw.org .)
