In the quiet, sacred space of Holy Spirit Church in Annandale, a young girl with Down syndrome named Parker Lee prepared to do something that would change her life forever.
Standing with her parents and Godparents before the baptismal font, she listened as Father John O’Donohue, pastor, walked her through the baptismal promises. When Father O’Donohue asked if she believed in Jesus Christ, Lee didn’t just offer a rehearsed response. Instead, she looked at him with an explosion of joyful protest and exclaimed, “Father, of course I do!”
It was a moment of pure faith — one that perfectly captured the heart of a girl who had found her home in the Catholic Church.
Lee’s journey to that moment began not in a parish or at home, but in the halls of her local Catholic school. She wasn’t raised Catholic and attended public school. However, as the transition to middle school loomed, her parents wanted a place that would provide the community Lee needed to truly thrive, a community where she could be known, loved, and supported in every aspect of her development.
Their search led to Holy Spirit, a school known for its commitment to inclusive education. In this nurturing environment, the social barriers that often challenge students with disabilities began to melt away. For the first time, Lee wasn’t just a student in a classroom; she was a friend among peers, forming meaningful bonds that would follow her into the next chapter of her life.
Immersed in the daily rhythms of a Catholic education and attending Mass every Friday with her classmates, Lee felt a calling to join the church. Her decision to be baptized and confirmed was entirely her own, born from the beauty she witnessed in the Gospel and the kindness she experienced in her school community. When she chose Mary as her confirmation name, it was a fitting tribute to the simplicity and sweetness that Lee herself radiates to everyone she meets.
Her experience at Holy Spirit was so positive that her parents enrolled her in the Options Program at St. Paul VI Catholic High School in Chantilly. Now in her second year, Lee has become an active student, participating in the dance team, choir and theater program. Whether she is playing Special Olympics basketball or preparing for the spring musical, she is surrounded by a community that intentionally fosters friendship.
Adam Bigbee, dean of exceptional learning, notes that through the Peer Mentor program and Panther Pals, students embrace their classmates in the Options Program not as outsiders, but as essential members of the Panther family. For Bigbee, Lee’s journey is particularly moving. He first met her when she was a student at Holy Spirit, reading at the annual diocesan Mass for Respect Life and Persons with Disabilities. Today he takes great pride in watching her stand at the Paul VI lectern, sharing that same spirit with her high school community.
This seamless path of inclusion from middle school to high school was made possible, in part, by Porto Charities’ mission. The organization’s financial support and advocacy have been vital to the success of special education at several schools in the diocese, including at Holy Spirit and Paul VI, ensuring that a Catholic education — and the spiritual transformation that comes with it — is accessible to all children, regardless of their learning needs.
Lee’s story is a beautiful reminder of why Catholic schools exist. They are more than places of learning; they are mission fields where the younger generations are invited to encounter Christ. By opening their doors to every child, Catholic schools create a space where a simple invitation to attend class can lead to a lifelong profession of faith. Lee is a gift to her school, and her journey is a reminder to us all that when we make room for everyone at the table, we get to witness the most heartfelt “I do” anyone has ever heard.
Williamson is communications coordinator for Porto Charities.
