It was 1949. Harry Truman had just been re-elected president, Pope Pius XII was in the second decade of his papacy, and Msgr. Martin T. Quinn, the first pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, founded Blessed Sacrament School in Alexandria with the help of the Holy Cross Sisters.
With 263 students in grades K-8, Blessed Sacrament is still going strong 75 years later, albeit with some struggles along the way. “The unique history of our school shows that Catholic education is important in every era,” said Kate Chelak, principal. “While the school closed for a time in the 1970s, the desire for children to be educated in a Catholic environment, surrounded by their faith, has never changed.”
An atmosphere of joy prevailed Oct. 17, as Bishop Michael F. Burbidge celebrated Mass with students, faculty and staff. In his homily, Bishop Burbidge talked about the importance of students treating others with compassion.
“We lift up and encourage each other in faith,” he said. “I’m happy to know that here, there’s no bullying, we don’t tease or mock each other. No. We respect each other and look out for that classmate or friend who may be having a hard time. Maybe they don’t feel included or maybe they’re having some family problems. Well, we are there for that person.”
Before Mass, parent Justin Weiner described Blessed Sacrament, which has twice been named a Blue Ribbon School (2008 and 2018), as more than just a place where children are educated. “We’ve had tragedies in our family and it’s amazing to see how the community pulled together and supported us in our time of need,” he said.
Although the last Holy Cross sisters left in 1992, Blessed Sacrament has maintained a strong Catholic identity. “Our students attend Mass and adoration weekly,” said Chelak. “Our middle schoolers go on a Lenten retreat each school year, our parochial vicars visit each classroom at least once a week. We work together to provide additional opportunities for our students to learn, practice, and grow in their faith.”
“Building that relationship beyond Sunday Mass and having the priests come into the classroom is a great way of faith formation for our children,” said Amee Patterson, who has three children at Blessed Sacrament. “Seeing the priests in school is a totally different experience than being at Mass.”
Father Andrew W. Clark, parochial vicar, said the relationship between the priests and the students is what makes Blessed Sacrament a special place. “We spend half-an-hour with each class per week,” he said. “It creates an awesome environment where the kids really get to know us as priests, and we really get to know them.”
“The very reason our school exists is in order to pass on the faith and to give that foundation to the children,” said Father John D. Kelly, pastor. “The faith is the whole purpose that we’re here and it’s truly present.”
Blessed Sacrament can boast of one famous alumnus. Pat Conroy, the acclaimed author of “The Great Santini” and “The Prince of Tides” attended middle school and graduated from the 8th grade. Conroy mentioned Blessed Sacrament in his memoir, “My Losing Season.”
Having a celebrity graduate is a nice tidbit, but academic excellence and forming faithful students in Christian community is the mission. “Our faculty, students, and parents are nourished each week by the Blessed Sacrament and then actively bring Christ to others through their actions,” said Chelak. “It’s a joy to see our students living the virtues of humility and charity so naturally in their lives and doing their small part to build a loving, supportive community.”
