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Cardinal Gregory Visits Washington School for Girls

September 01, 2021
Welcome Back to Holy Mass

Washington School for Girls


We are so excited to have returned to five days of mostly in person classroom instruction. After not seeing each other in person for over a year, reconnecting felt long overdue. It has been a special time for us - celebrating, honoring and visiting our school traditions.

Our in-person religious service is one tradition that we missed most. In our first all-school, in-person Mass ceremony since transitioning to distance learning, we welcomed His Eminence, Wilton Cardinal Gregory as the principal celebrant and homilist at our Opening of School Mass. In 2020, Cardinal Gregory was appointed as the first African American Cardinal in the Catholic Church, and it truly was an honor to have him visit Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church to lead us in prayer. He shared a message about the importance of loving God and loving your neighbor, encouraging our students to keep God first and to operate in faith. “If you love God and your neighbor, everything else you do [in life] will be placed in the right order.”

Although the socially distanced ceremony looked a lot different, we felt connected and grateful to be together. Many of our students had never participated in Mass, so it was wonderful to see our school and community of faith come together in support of our students' spiritual development.

What a wonderful way to start the school year!

Cardinal Gregory Prepares to Deliver the Homily

Cardinal Gregory Prepares to Deliver the Homily

Washington School for Girls Stands for the Entry Procession

Washington School for Girls Stands for the Entry Procession

Students Kneel for the Eucharistic Prayer

Students Kneel for the Eucharistic Prayer

Cardinal Gregory, Washington School for Girls’ Leadership, and Students Pose at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church

Cardinal Gregory, Washington School for Girls’ Leadership, and Students Pose at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church