“This is where it’s at, a preK-8 Catholic school... where students get the skills they need to be good students and to build their faith,” said Shindana Crawford, principal of St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Silver Spring, Maryland just before Mass on Sunday, June 7.
Crawford, who is finishing her fourth year at St. John the Evangelist School, said that it was important to honor the legacy of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary for what they created when helping to found the school, and even more importantly, to see that foundation “be revered by future generations of students at the school.”
The Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Robert W. McElroy on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), closed out the year-long celebrations of the parish and school’s 75th anniversary. Father Joseph Calis, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, opened the Mass, acknowledging the Sisters of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, seated in the front row, who will soon end their time in residence in the parish.
The church was filled with parishioners, young and old, with many multi-generational families in attendance. Also in attendance were Father Tom Robertson, who served as master of ceremonies; Father Pablo Villa, parochial vicar at at the parish; and Father John McKay, who celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination in 2023.
In his homily, Cardinal McElroy spoke about the Body and Blood of Christ and the true mystery of our Lord's real presence in the Holy Eucharist. Cardinal McElroy spoke of Archbishop Dominic Tang Yee-ming of Canton, China who was imprisoned for 22 years for refusing to sever ties with the pope and the Church. When the archbishop was finally released, he said the hardest part of the time he spent in prison was “being denied the Eucharist.”
The members of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary will be continue their service to the Church as they relocate. Sister Maureen Schrimpe will be a food service director at the University of Maryland. Sister Anne Mary Smith will continue her work as a registrar at St. John College High School. Sister Doreen Willis – who taught kindergarten at St. John the Evangelist School for more than 25 years and continued to serve as a reading specialist since retiring from teaching – will relocate to her congregation’s motherhouse in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Peg Daly, a St. John’s parishioner for more than 40 years, said “the IHM Sisters are smart, strong, and mighty women. They have several careers, from teaching to becoming principals, superintendents, food service directors, high school registrars, resource teachers, and more. They never retire; truly, they work and serve forever.”
Daly’s four children attended St. John the Evangelist School, and the family was very close – both spiritually and geographically, as the family home borders the school’s property – to Sister Kathleen Lannak, who served as the school principal for 35 years, from 1980 to 2015.
“Sister Kathleen was brilliant in leading the school and had wonderful relationships with many families,” Daly said. “At any time, our children could go to Sister Kathleen for help and/or advice. Even after our kids were out of St. John the Evangelist School, Sister played a part in helping our children decide where to go to college, and she also attended their weddings.”
Several years ago, Daly, along with her prayer group, was invited by Sister Kathleen to join the IHM Associates Program. IHM Associates participate in various activities such as presentations on Founder’s Day, hosting IHM meetings in the archdiocese, and assisting with Christmas parties.
Daly said “The IHM Associates Program supports and continues the legacy of the IHM Charisms in our personal lives as well as for the school, so we could become part of the living legacy of the Sisters, committing to live out the IHM Charisms in our daily lives.”
Neil Sloan, a theology teacher at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia, who joined the St. John the Evangelist School parish 12 years ago, noted that three of his six children – one of whom has Down syndrome – have graduated from St. John the Evangelist School, and three others are still students there.
Sloan, who currently serves as the CYO president at St. John the Evangelist School, said “the school is an amazing school with a great heart and loving community. The IHM sisters are at the foundation of this community, centered on Christ. The teachers and staff go above and beyond to modify lessons and programs and highlight the joy and goodness of Catholic inclusive education. We are so grateful to the sisters, especially Sister Kathleen, who founded the inclusion program, and to … kindergarten teacher, Sister Doreen.”
Emily Pacconi, a religion and language arts teacher at the school, learned much from working with the sisters since her arrival at St. John the Evangelist School in 2014.
“What I didn't realize until I arrived at St. John the Evangelist was the difference these women have on your entire life. They are dedicated, prayerful, and wonderful leaders, but what our sisters do that sets them apart is how they do all of this with a joy that is contagious,” she said. “They guide our community with love and charity and model how to live a faithful life, all while making our relationship with God stronger.”
Pacconi said that the sisters’ “physical presence will no longer be in our building, the gifts that the IHM sisters have instilled in the generations of students, faculty, and community members of St. John the Evangelist School will still be lived out. They do all of this expecting nothing in return.”
At the end of Mass, the sisters were called up to the sanctuary for a photo with the cardinal, the pastor, and school staff. A reception honoring the IHM Sisters was held after the Mass.
A retired Catholic school educator, Michelle Ardillo is a writer working on a book about Marian apparitions, specifically those where the Blessed Virgin appeared to children. She is a long-time parishioner of the Shrine of St. Jude in Rockville.
