Mission: Reflections on This Year’s Theme

On September 8, 2025, Head of School Brendan Sullivan delivered his Opening Remarks for the academic year.

Mr. Condron, Mr. Piccione, members of the Board of Trustees, Father Boyle, Mr. Nerbonne, students, colleagues from the faculty and staff, guests: welcome to the first full week of the school year.

Two years ago, Mr. Joe Dunn, Class of 1984 and father of Patrick '28, put this book, The Search for Canasta 404, in my hands. He wanted to share the story of his parents, Joe Dunn Sr. and Maureen Dunn. Joe Sr. was serving as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War when his plane went missing over China. Maureen dedicated her life as an advocate for American Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action.

I read the book for the first time while I was on my way to Washington, D.C. on the annual junior class trip. It was such a fitting time to read this book and discover the incredible journey of the Dunn family. It’s a story of love and loss, of service and sacrifice, of courage and honor—those timeless themes that have shaped our nation’s history. For the seniors who remember that D.C. trip, you know that one of the highlights every year is going to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and laying a wreath on behalf of the school.

Arlington National Cemetery is sacred ground, filled with monuments, but the most symbolically important is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. What's in there? It's exactly what it says: the remains of soldiers who died in battle. They were so brutally burned or battered that they were unrecognizable and unidentifiable, yet their colleagues, their brothers-in-arms, still found it essential to bring them home, to honor them, to give them dignity, and to show them the respect they deserve. It's one of the most important memorials for anyone who served in the armed forces. It says: we recognize your sacrifice, and we honor your service.

So you can imagine that in February of 1968, when Joe went missing, his comrades—his brothers-in-arms, those he flew with—wanted to do everything they could to find him and bring him back.

Obviously, Maureen wanted the same thing. She wanted to figure out what happened. She received the message that Joe was lost on Valentine's Day, 1968. Just imagine how she felt when for months the military provided her with no answers as to Joe’s whereabouts. At that time, the fog of war was so thick, and the bureaucracy to bring those soldiers home was almost insurmountable. Many people in Maureen’s shoes found the task too daunting, they didn't push any further. But Maureen would not let those challenges stop her.

As I look out, I know many of you have experienced loss in your lives. You know that hole inside you. You know the pain, the hopelessness you feel when someone so close to you is gone. Add to that the uncertainty and the unknown that Maureen was facing, and with a two-year-old child as well. She could have felt sorry for herself; she could have looked to others to serve her. Instead, she began a lifelong mission to find the truth and to serve soldiers who were missing—and their families. When she started her mission in small church halls around Boston, she could not have known where her journey would lead.

She stayed steadfast and determined, and her journey led her to speak in front of huge crowds, to senators, and even to meet with presidents, all in an effort to understand what was happening with our prisoners of war and those missing in action. She became an incredible agent of change. From those humble beginnings in Randolph, she drove a nationwide movement that remains vital to so many today. Mr. Wishart mentioned this: he was watching the opening NFL game on Thursday night. During the national anthem, the camera moved to an image of the American flag, and right below that was the POW/MIA flag. Fifty years on, it is still such an important movement, still so important for those who serve in the military.

Maureen ended up helping thousands of soldiers reunite with their families. Some were prisoners of war that were able to return home and restart their lives. She also helped to identify and return the remains of soldiers who had given the ultimate sacrifice. Their bodies were returned home to be buried with dignity and honor—a true gift to the families of those soldiers.

Maureen’s mission started as the pursuit of truth, and she used faith and reason to get there. She broke through the bureaucracy to sit in front of generals, and she reasoned with them: "We can do more. We can do more. We can do more. Let's figure out how we bring these boys back home. Let's figure out how we bring these soldiers home.” She was relentless.

She also summoned every bit of faith that she had. We see her Catholic faith reflected throughout the book. The story begins with a description of Joe and Maureen's first date. As they were driving through Jamaica Plain, they passed the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Joe said, "I went there every Wednesday with my mother.” Back in World War II, the church had begun a weekly novena on Wednesdays—nine masses in one day—a big deal for Bostonians at the time. Maureen thought to herself, what a coincidence; her family’s faith was drawn to those same novenas.

There's another coincidence related to that church. Last year, our All-School Read was Six Months to Live, and if you remember, when Mr. Artie Boyle received his cancer diagnosis, he went to a church—Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Another coincidence is the name by which that church is more commonly known: Mission Church. I think you can understand why I chose Mission as the theme for this year. This brings us to our Mission Statement. For those who are new, you'll hear this a lot. For those who have been here for a while, you've heard this many times and you understand the pursuits that we are engaged in. But this time when you listen, think about Maureen’s mission:

A Catholic independent school, St. Sebastian's seeks to engage young men in the pursuit of truth through faith and reason.

By embracing gospel values in an inclusive nurturing community and by inspiring intellectual excellence in a structured liberal arts curriculum, St. Sebastian's strives to empower its students for success in college and in life.

The ideal St. Sebastian's graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage and honor and wisdom, a lifelong learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love and to serve God and neighbor.

When I looked back at the history of our Mission Statement, I found this line: “The St. Sebastian’s Mission Statement was adopted in 1994.” I really appreciated that choice of words. It didn’t say the mission statement was created or written. It said it was adopted. Because in truth, the parts were already all there—the values, the purpose, what the school was about—it just needed to be formalized into words. And in 1994, it found its home on Greendale Ave. St. Sebastian’s adopted it, nurtured it, helped it grow, and made it part of our family.

When I first stepped on the campus in the fall of 1994, I feel like I was adopted by St. Sebastian's as well. I was looking for my mission, I was a little bit lost, and I needed a place that would take me in, nurture me, help me grow, and ultimately become my family. I am so blessed to be part of, and incredibly proud of, this family. I love it so much. For those who are new here, it's going to take some time. There's going to be that uncertainty of coming into a new place, but believe me, I am so glad you're here. You belong here. You will feel like part of this family in no time, and we are, as I said, just so incredibly happy that you are with us.

We know that you will make us stronger, you will make us better, and you're going to do so by discovering your gifts, developing your gifts, and delivering your gifts in the service of others. When our seniors graduate, they take the gifts they’ve developed and the values they learned from home and from St Sebastian’s and they make an impact on the world.

How are you going to get motivated every day to live out the mission laid before you? Once again, look to Maureen Dunn for inspiration. Her number one motivation, her driving force, was love. It was that love that she had for her husband that made her so determined to keep going in the face of adversity. As I thought about her love for Joe, I couldn’t help but think of the reading from 1 Corinthians. You've most likely heard this before, especially if you’ve been to a wedding. Think about Maureen as I read it:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated. It is not rude. It does not seek its own interests. It is not quick-tempered. It does not brood over adversity. It does not rejoice over wrongdoings, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things. It endures things. Love never fails."

Maureen's mission never failed. When I first read the book, I was sad at the end. She never found Joe. But that was not a failed mission. Remember, her mission was to seek the truth, and to break through a bureaucracy and to bring soldiers home to their families. She kept her mission going right up until May of 2013 when she passed away. At that point, she was finally reunited with Joe in eternity. I have an image in my mind of Joe sitting there and saying, "Mission accomplished."

She was an incredible person, and her model of love is a true example of God's love for us. God's love is patient and kind. It's not self-interested. It's not quick-tempered. It's not rejoicing over wrongdoings, it's rejoicing with truth, and it never fails.

Arrows, think about your missions for this year. You will fly many—both this year and throughout your life. Remember Maureen's model, remember how she lived it. She started with faith. Have faith. You don't know where your mission will lead you. Have courage. Take the first step of that daunting mission and see it through to the end. Make an impact. Go beyond these walls to discover where you will make a difference. You young men have it within you to do so. That is your charge as Arrows.

Do so honorably. In everything you do, keep honor at the center. Maureen honored herself, honored her family, and honored her country by fulfilling her mission. And do it with love in your heart. Make sure that that love is always a driving force in your life.

May God's love always be with you, as well as His peace and His grace. I wish all of you a wonderful year.