ESSEX – Cheers and applause filled the parking lot of Our Lady of Mount Carmel School on the first day of school as students were dropped off and greeted by staff and the school’s mascots, cougars Max and Cocoa, Aug. 25.
After middle school students entered the school for their first day, elementary students lined up by grades before proudly marching into the school. Gregory A. Farno, chancellor of education for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, greeted them outside with fist bumps as they passed and School Sister of Notre Dame Patricia McCarron, superintendent of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Catholic schools, greeted them inside.
“This is one of the best days of the year,” Sister Patricia said, as she smiled at students. “It is so exciting. There is a fabulous spirit of energy.”
Principal Jennifer Leynes was pleased that the morning’s festive atmosphere kept students positive.
“Not a lot of tears today! Only two,” Leynes said. “It worked!”
At St. Casimir School in Baltimore, students walked in on a red carpet with bubbles blowing, according to Principal Noreen Heffner.
“The kids were excited,” Heffner said. “It made the fear go away.”
As schools across the archdiocese opened their doors for the start of the 2025-26 school year, Sister Patricia and Farno spent the morning visiting three schools – Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Casimir – to welcome back students and staff.
“I’m so excited and thankful to have the kids back on campus,” Kelly Medvigy, assistant principal at Our Lady of Mount Carmel School said. “They’re energy; we feed off of their energy.”
Father John Streifel, pastor, also was happy to see the children return.
“It is quite a nice moment,” Father Streifel said, as he greeted students. “We’re certainly grateful Sister Patricia and Greg could be here.”
Leynes and Medvigy allowed Farno to ring the school’s bell – a privilege typically reserved for the fourth graders to herald the end of the day.
“Everyone is so well behaved,” Farno said, as he left a classroom.
At St. Francis of Assisi School, Sister Patricia and Farno welcomed back students during an assembly about school policies.
“You are going to learn so much,” Sister Patricia told them. “I am going to tell you one thing that is super, super important: God loves you. Because God loves us, we can do anything.”
At all her stops, Sister Patricia reminded students of God’s love for them through both good and challenging times.
“Thank you for sharing your message with us,” St. Francis of Assisi Principal John Seibel said. “We all want a deeper relationship with God.”
Anna Merriam, a fourth-grade teacher at St. Francis, welcomed everyone to her class.
“These are my fabulous five,” she said, gesturing to her class. “Everything has been great so far.”
Heffner showed off St. Casimir’s renovated teacher’s lounge, which was done by school parents. The school’s steps were also painted and a large classroom on an upper level was made into two, she said.
“I’m glad the first day is here. The summer was busy, so many things to get ready,” Heffner said.
Sister Patricia said afterward that the “mission of Catholic education is alive and well.” She was most pleased with the response a young student gave her at St. Casimir when she asked what their favorite part of school was.
“She said, ‘all of it,’” Sister Patricia said. “That says it all. I’m just thrilled.”
Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org
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