Our school’s Catholic identity begins at its inception, as an extension of our beloved St. Mary’s Church and Parish. St. Mary’s has an extraordinary history and tremendous significance in our local area.
Our Humble Yet Profound History
The parish was established in 1813, however, the Catholic congregation lacked a place to worship so they began to raise money to build a church. Three years later, a centrally located four-acre site was purchased for just $300 and a chapel was constructed on “Georgetown-to-Frederick Road” (today’s Rockville Pike), which became the very first Catholic church in Montgomery County. The first Mass was celebrated on Sunday, December 14, 1817, and St. Mary’s became the church from which other up-county mission churches ultimately sprang.
From its beginnings, St. Mary’s Parish and its clergy paid special care to the religious education of the children. After the Civil War, the number of children in the congregation grew so rapidly that a large classroom was constructed in the early 1870’s at the northwest corner of the church for Sunday school, where religious instruction was held for many years. During World War II, the need for a parish school began to be felt even more, but fundraising and construction took several years due to the ongoing toll of the war.
Finally, in the fall of 1951, St. Mary’s School opened its doors just steps away from the original chapel, founded and staffed by the Sisters of Mercy who lived on the second floor of the new school.
Although the church has been remodeled and enlarged several times, much of the original church (Our Lady’s Chapel) remains today and seats approximately 150. The American writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald, his wife Zelda, and members of his family are buried in the adjoining historic cemetery, along with countless others. In the 1960s, a new modernized church was built next to the chapel.
Later, in 1966, a demolition permit was issued to raze the old church, however, thankfully it was saved at the last moment by our loyal parishioners and concerned citizens. For more information about St. Mary’s Church, please visit their website at: https://stmarysrockville.org/
Our Catholic Roots Remain Central to Our School
Our school is affiliated with and supported by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. The focus of St. Mary’s School is to provide a nurturing Christ-centered academic environment that works to meet the individual needs of our students. All of our students take formal religion classes and are encouraged to integrate a commitment of service to others within the school community, the parish, and in our local and global surroundings, through various charitable volunteer work and outreach programs.
Parents as the Primary Educators
In the Catholic Church, parents are considered the first and primary educators of their children, as they begin shaping their children’s character and values from birth. While teachers play a vital role, they are intended to support parents in their children’s education, not to replace it. We encourage parents to be actively involved in our school and community to ensure that we are aligned as we guide our students in the classroom.
We work to set an example of Christian living in our daily lives, while fostering a school community that works ceaselessly to live in kindness and understanding. We seek to create an environment of support in which students are unafraid to take risks, to explore, to grow, and to learn. We encourage asking the ultimate questions. Not only, “How well did I do?” but more importantly, “How shall I live?” and “Who do I want to be?”
Faith-Centered School Activities
We do not require that our students and families be Catholic — we have a very diverse school, and many come from varied religious backgrounds and nationalities. We are accepting and respectful of others’ beliefs.
With parental permission, non-Catholic students who decide to explore the faith further can be led through the sacrament process with our Faith Formation Program, led by our Religion teacher, Mrs. Camille Kroll. Over the course of the school year, students will have the opportunity to receive the sacrament of Baptism, along with Reconciliation, Communion, and Confirmation, once they are of age.
At St. Mary’s School, our students (with the exception of our Preschool) participate in a number of school-wide, faith-centered events and activities including:
- Attending Mass on Fridays at 9:00am
- We begin Monday mornings in prayer, followed by birthday blessings for the upcoming week from a St. Mary’s clergy leader.
- Praying the Rosary together a few times each year
- Praying the Stations of the Cross
- Observe the Adoration and the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
- Honoring Holy Days and Ash Wednesday
- Christmas and Easter Celebrations
