Members of the 1847 Society gathered on campus this past weekend for a special Mass and reception celebrating generosity, loyalty, and shared commitment. The 1847 Society recognizes benefactors whose annual generosity provides significant support for the school and its mission at a level of $1,100 or more per year. The annual gathering celebrates the relationships that make the Blue Jay community distinctive.

The evening began in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs, where Fr. John Brown, S.J., celebrated Mass. Patrick Cragin ’06, [junior Vu NAME], and Elizabeth Rizzo provided music for the liturgy from the choir loft. Following Mass, Christian Bautista ’06 welcomed guests and expressed the school’s gratitude for the many ways parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and friends strengthen the Blue Jay community.

“I sometimes wonder what our founders would think if they could see their school now,” said Bautista. “On the one hand, it seems hard to believe they could have foreseen what their efforts would grow into nearly 180 years later. But on the other hand, their boldness and seriousness of purpose reflects that they did know that they were laying the foundation for something truly important.”

Johnny Giavotella ’05, head of sports development, offered a personal example of the lasting impact of that generosity. As a pre-freshman considering several options for high school, Giavotella was encouraged by someone who recognized that he belonged at Carrollton & Banks. Through the school’s need-blind admissions process, he was able to become a Blue Jay, supported by an endowment built through the generosity of generations who came before him.

Years later, Giavotella now finds himself on the other side of that same tradition of generosity, as a benefactor helping provide future Blue Jays with the opportunity once provided to him. His story reflects the enduring partnership at the heart of the Blue Jay community: one generation investing in the next so that young men, regardless of their financial circumstances, can receive the formation and opportunities that have defined the school since 1847.

The gathering also provided an opportunity to recognize Stephen Perrien ’86, Jessica Waguespack, Missy Martin, and Michael Monahan ’92 for their chairship of the past year’s Parents Annual Giving Drive. The drive was the most successful in the school’s history, generating more than $1.3 million to support students and families.