Fr. Don’s Weekly Letter ~ 15 November 2026

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette,

This week I’m writing this letter late after a long day. This morning after Mass we had our diocesan annual pastor/principal luncheon and received our enrollment/viability report for the school. I skipped lunch because I had to be at the chancery doing a second interview with the search committee for the new CEO of Catholic Charities. That went long, so I went straight into DC to a reception/gala hosted by the Rumi Forum, a Turkish Muslim association founded by M. Fethullah Gülen an Imam and leader who sought interfaith peace and a moderate, more westernized form of Islam. The event tonight was to honor Rabbi Michael Holtzman (Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation) and Rev. Becca Messman (Burke Presbyterian) for their work in creating and promoting the faith250 program. I wanted to let you know that our participation in this program not only made the Washington Post but, as one of the first cohorts, also helped establish faith250 in 46 communities in the nation.

We have good news to report about our school. Where our overall test scores have been a bit lagging in the past, our teachers and staff have really turned it around. It takes a complete team from Dr. Burgess all the way to the staff who work in the kitchen and on the playground to provide an environment where learning is inspired and takes root. The scores from last year show in most cases we are well above the diocesan average in reading and language arts, and about the same at the diocesan level in mathematics. For that reason we have fortified our math program already this year.

Our enrollment is stable. Although our enrollment has dropped a few percentage points, we show a retention of students at 87%. This is a very good figure in the diocese, especially with so many military families who often must move every few years.

There was a report of the demographics given in the top ten zip codes of the 33 zip codes represented at our school. The population of those living in these areas has increased only by nearly one per cent. In 55% of our households languages other than English are spoken. The Hispanic or Latino population in the area is 23%, a bit more than the 17% in our school. 9% of the families in our area live in poverty, the median total household income being about $126,000.

All in all, we got a very good report.

I hope you enjoy the beautiful photos of moments during the visit of Saint Berna-dette’s relics last week in this special edition bulletin. I had really worried that we would be visited by more people than we could handle. We were well prepared – thanks to the hours of preparation of our parish staff team! and all of our good volunteers who served as parking attendants, safety patrol, and ushers warmly greeting visitors and facilitating the efficient veneration of our Patroness. In the end, I look back on a beautiful event (maybe the most significant in the parish for many years), in which the Masses were just comfortably full, and the lines for veneration were always back to the vestibule but never overwhelming. Just a peaceful, steady flow of people who came to greet her and ask for her intercession.

I realize, too, that between the time I am writing and you are reading our Rise Against Hunger meal packing event will have come and gone! What a great service project, one that brings us all together with one purpose to serve and make a difference in the world. By then we will have shipped 175,000 meals to children in a school, enough to feed them for a year. And, because they come to school knowing that they will be fed, we will also be facilitating their education for a brighter future.

It all comes into perspective when you realize how fortunate we truly are and how we must share what we have. Roughly it costs about $22K to educate a child each year in Fairfax County Public Schools. In our part of the Diocese of Arlington it costs about $12K, and our school tuition is under $10K. Thanks for your generosity in our tuition assistance collections each month.

The Lord be with you,