100 Words

This morning, as students arrived at school, presented a wonderful mish-mash of different versions of apparel, the majority of them in perfect or sorta-perfect school uniform, while many others donned OK-ed by administration wear—ranging from cozy, super casual clothes (for the 100 or so 11th and 12th graders heading off for the Kairos retreat early this afternoon), to various sports jerseys or team-affiliated t-shirt wear, signifying today’s pending playoff games or championship meet—as many of our teams are in the short stretch of time marking the end of the winter sports season. Today alone, both the boys and the girls hockey teams face tournament opponents; boys and girls swim compete at the VISAA championship; and our Special Olympics basketball squad has a big game at 6:45 tonight (between the finish of the JV and the start of the varsity boys basketball regular season games). Excellence in all that we do doesn’t simply happen by itself, so I write today to recognize and thank the many, many of my colleagues who ensure each and every day that logistics, order, and communications carry the day so that our functionality and high delivery are ever in place. So, on the one hand, lots is going on today at the school, but on the other hand, welcome to Bishop O’Connell—where every day and in practically every way a lot goes on (so much so that I’ve come to refer to O’Connell as the New York City of schools—as in, “the school that never sleeps”). As anyone who has run anything of multi-tiered complexity would agree, “the devil’s in the details,” and while I’ll not mention by name my array of highly organized, ever flexible, hyper responsible, and exceedingly conscientious teammates who every day and, for that matter, every hour see to it that the trains run on time here, I extend my most sincere and deeply felt thanks to every one of them. These are the same people, who if singled out for praise would say, “No need, Bill, I’m just doing my job.” (Humility is clearly among their many gifts.) All of us shine, or at least are so positioned to shine, because in the end, thank God, there are an inordinate number of really good, really devoted, and really caring shepherds in our professional learning community’s midst who see to it to the best of their ability that all that O’Connell has to offer its student body, and those who support the student body, are placed in the best position to succeed logistically. Thank you, a million times, over, my many, and rarely thanked enough, colleagues. The school’s impossible to count successes, victories, and moments of joy would not have happened without your touch, grace, patience, and attentiveness.

As a community with a tagline “Where Tradition Transforms,” O’Connell might be most known for and most proud of the tradition of Superdance. My remarks today—a repeat theme from recent years—are particularly salient, as the 2025 Superdance on March 8, marks the 50th anniversary of this event. Happy Golden Anniversary, Superdance! What a spectacular and inspiring run it has been, a run in which this tradition has been a defining gold-medal event every year of its existence. Tomorrow morning’s all-school assembly begins the four weeks (and a day) countdown to Superdance, an especially notable kickoff this year because of the commemorative Golden Anniversary. Trust me, one truly can’t get his/her head around—until experiencing it first-hand—the entire 3 1/2 hours of the Superdance Assembly, and what an “experience” it is! Freshmen and transfer students are in for a treat for sure. And kudos, then, to the 80 or so seniors (60) and juniors (20) who play critical leadership roles as committee (of which there are a dozen) chairs, or committee members, and of course the SCA Executive Board members, who not only emcee the entirety of the assembly with verve and panache, but also who have been working on and thinking about Superdance in one way or another ever since being elected to their posts late last spring. Luke, Will, Sam, and Nora, thank you for all you have been doing! You, Fab Four, put the “awe” in awesome! And what will this year’s theme be? We’ll all have to wait with bated breath until tomorrow, as “theme secrecy” is one of the many things O’Connell student leaders do exceptionally. It’ll be worth the wait, trust me. And where would any of this be without the SCA moderators, Mrs. Lonergan and Ms. Frank, two superheroes in their own right! Thanks to both of you, and thank you in advance as well to the countless members of the faculty/staff who will be pitching in selflessly and enthusiastically between now and that second Saturday in March to ensure that all things Superdance go swimmingly. The amount of advanced planning, devotion to detail, seamless teamwork, and sweat equity that makes the assembly a perfect “10” year after year is this community’s secret sauce. We, the faculty/staff, are blown away every year by how phenomenally our 16 to18-year-olds get it done. With God’s blessing and aided by the more than $5 million raised over the last 49 years by O’Connell students since the inception of SD in the mid-70s, massive strides have been made in regard to what we all hope one day will be the complete eradication of cystic fibrosis. Until that glorious goal has been met, the good and gracious people of Bishop O’Connell, led by a deeply committed, ever hopeful, and boundlessly energized student body, will keep fighting this good, noble, and affirming fight. Yes, we’re better together.

This past Monday, O’Connell’s faculty and staff gathered at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More for a day of retreat. The event was scheduled the day before the start of the second semester to allow each of us, educators and support staff, the gift of gathering together to reflect on the first half of the year, refuel for the second half, and, most critically, be in communion with our Lord and with each other. Recharged batteries were indeed what was needed, and my dedicated and enthusiastic colleagues are now back in action, and rarin’ to go. As we call on our students to set forth over these next four months with their very best, we too as mentors and shepherds must be at our very best. Our day of retreat had many memorable high water marks and affirming moments, and I’d be remiss in recounting that day if not mentioning the following: first, a thank you to Fr. McShurley and the school’s extraordinary campus ministry team for having woven together such a well-organized, thought-out, and delivered experience; to Fr. Patrick Posey, Cathedral Rector and an O’Connell grad, for allowing us to gather in such an inspiring and sacred space; to Fr. Peter St. George (also a DJO alum), for serving as our retreat leader, walking us informatively and with a great sense of hope through all that is found in the word  “Jubilee,” both Biblically, historically, and within a modern day context; and to Fr. Nicholas Barnes, parochial vicar, for leading us on a guided aural tour of the massively and beautifully renovated Cathedral, highlighted by brief descriptions of the numerous saints whose lives are commemorated through statues and stained glass windows—saints who brilliantly reflect the diversity of the parishioners who comprise the Diocese of Arlington. The day was marked as well by quiet, reflective time in which confession was made available to anyone so seeking, and Mass, concelebrated by Fr. St. George and Fr. McShurley. That Bishop Burbidge stopped by unexpectedly just as our day was getting underway to extend his warm welcome boded exceptionally well for the day ahead, as yet again the Holy Spirit was revealing himself to his flock of true believers in the form of his Excellency. So, yes, a good, uplifting, and informative day was had by all, and each of us, super devoted to our work and our teenaged charges, walked away all the more aware of the magnificent gift and blessing it is to work at Bishop O’Connell.