HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 915 Offered February 14, 2007 Commending Saint James Catholic School. ---------- Patrons-- Scott, J.M. and Hull; Senator: Whipple ----------

WHEREAS, founded in 1906, Saint James Catholic School, a Blue Ribbon School located in Falls Church, Virginia, notably celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006; and

WHEREAS, Saint James Catholic School was designated a  Blue Ribbon School by the United States Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 1999, the highest honor that an American school can achieve, for demonstrating continual superior academic achievement by its students; and

WHEREAS, Saint James Catholic School is a part of Saint James Catholic Church, which was originally the mission of Saint Mary’s of Alexandria, the oldest Catholic church in Northern Virginia, founded in 1792; and

WHEREAS, first located on Fowler Street in Falls Church, Saint James Catholic Church moved to its present location on Broad Street in 1892, so that a school could also be built on the church property; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Thomas Fortune Ryan, the wife of the wealthy New York financier, donated funds for the building of the new stone church and $10,000 for the construction of a school; she was also the benefactress of Georgetown University, America’s first Catholic university; and

WHEREAS, in 1906, the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration opened the first school at Saint James Catholic Church, the Academy of Perpetual Adoration, and its enrollment continued to grow, until the Sisters had to close the convent and school in 1923; the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary followed, opening a new school with 92 students and surviving the hard times of the Depression by taking in boarders from kindergarten through 8th grade; and

WHEREAS, Saint James Catholic School prospered and by the 1960s, commitments by the Sisters to other assignments in area parishes led to the increasing employment of a dedicated and professional lay faculty and staff; and

WHEREAS, today, Saint James Catholic School, with a dedicated staff of 60 and an enrollment of 650 students, continues to live up to its superior reputation and excellent accreditation by the Virginia Catholic Education Association; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate Saint James Catholic School on its notable centennial anniversary in 2006; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Sister Mary Ann Sweeney, Principal of Saint James Catholic School, as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of the school’s dedication to the students of Northern Virginia and best wishes for a bright and successful future.