For Kevin Smith, last Saturday’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of All Saints School in Manassas was a chance to share warm memories of his childhood with his wife, and catch up with old friends.
“This is really home,” said Smith, a 1983 graduate of All Saints and a parishioner of Holy Trinity Parish in Gainesville, as he paged through an album of black and white photographs from the early 1980s.
Dozens of former and current students, faculty and families joined Smith in giving thanks for their formation in the faith and the friendships forged at All Saints School during a special Mass and reception at All Saints Church.
“We are reminded that God created Mary for a special mission — to be holy,” said Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde during his homily at the Mass that also commemorated the liturgical feast of the birth of Mary. “But we, too, are called to this same process, ending with eternal life in heaven. ... This school has been the instrument God has used since 1957 in the formation of young people into the image of Jesus Christ.”
Bishop Loverde concelebrated the Mass with Father Bob Cilinski, pastor of All Saints, and Fathers Francisco Mendez, Gregory Thompson and James Tucker, parochial vicars.
A special place of honor was given to the Benedictine Sisters from St. Benedict Monastery in Bristow who founded the school at their motherhouse 50 years ago and staffed it with teachers and principals until 1990. The school that began with a small group of kindergartners and first-graders has grown to 520 students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight. Principal David Conroy, the school’s first lay principal, is beginning his 12th year at the school’s helm.
Manassas Mayor Doug Waldron remembered living close enough to walk to All Saints as a second- and third-grader in the early 1960s when Benedictine Sister Laurence Bucher was principal.
“One of my early memories was learning to love reading, a love I’ve carried with me,” he said. “Back then the library was just shelves in the back of a classroom, and my goal was to read every book.”
In addition to basic academics, Waldron said his early years in Catholic school gave him a solid foundation in his faith.
“Formation … is what All Saints does so well. In religion class I learned early on to embrace Catholicism and live out my faith,” he said.
Students will continue to celebrate the anniversary throughout the school year with a different class-sponsored service project each month. Planned projects include collecting mittens for the homeless, assembling care packages for U.S. troops serving in Iraq and making rosaries.
Stephanie Tracy can be reached at stracy@catholicherald.com.

(c) Copyright 2007 by Arlington Catholic Herald