Saint Joseph Catholic School

Polly Maciulski, Middle School Religion

Grateful Hearts: SJS Expresses Appreciation For Msgr. Long

THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’VE GOT UNTIL IT’S GONE.

While that is true for many things in life, it is not the case at St. Joseph Catholic School, as we say farewell to a beloved pastor, Msgr. Matthew Long.

Even before he was our pastor, many of us had encountered him at the SJB Religion Scholars Bowl when he served as a judge, or as Vocations Director, when he made frequent visits to our school to discuss vocations among the students. He also came to my Religion classes one year to explain the Octave of Christmas, though the kids engaged so much in the discussion that I don’t think we ever got past the fourth day! In other words, we knew him as a priest before he was assigned here in 2017, and so we looked forward to his arrival with great anticipation.

We learned quickly that Msgr. Long is a planner, that he prefers growing and evolving over status quo or just “checking a box,” and that’s also one of the qualities that makes him a great pastor. Whatever he does, he gives his all. His passion for Catholic education that was born in the Eastern Deanery at Jesus the Good Shepherd School and St. Frederick High School was evident on our campus as he visited and taught in our classrooms, and even went on retreats and field trips with us. He hosted an annual luncheon with our eighth-grade classes each year, and continued our annual Vocations Luncheon, as well. He has even allowed himself to be “arrested” and “imprisoned” at our annual Falcon Fest, and with his then-Parochial Vicar, Fr. Kevin Mues, hand-delivered boxes of pizza to the entire student body to celebrate our return to campus after the COVID shutdown. He is truly a part of our school family, and one we will deeply miss. Since his arrival, our students have grown increasingly comfortable in receiving the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation because he has not only prioritized hearing the confessions of our 3rd-8th grade classes three times each year, but his commitment to making confessions available daily for our parish has also inspired students to receive the Sacrament on their own, and more frequently. School Masses are always beautiful, but he has made them even more so with his ability to appeal to all the students, from K3 through eighth grade: anyone who has ever been to a Mass he celebrates knows the guy can preach!

Our altar servers appreciate the opportunity they have had to know him and to witness his unwavering faith. Sixth grade server Braxton Holsapple remarked, “What I will miss about serving with Father Long is the way that he celebrates Mass and how much he loves Jesus, and how he teaches us to love Jesus.” Ben Ezernack, a seventh-grade server agrees. “What I liked about Msgr. Long was how understanding he was when I just started altar serving. I know I and everyone else will be sad to see (him) go.”

“I was recruited to this position by the Monsignor,” says our principal, Mr. Clayton Cobb. “I never knew of him before so if I was going to uproot my family to answer a calling in a different community where we knew no one, my wife and I had three conditions: it had to be a calling, not just an offer; the community had to be great for our family; the pastor had to be someone we felt we could serve under. Being a former seminarian, I know many priests but had never met him. After my conversation with him - and after saying yes to the job - he wanted to take the time to meet my wife and family. He knew it was an important decision that included my family and he understood that it was important to put her mind at ease. He cares about people. He understands his role as a ‘father’ in this family of families. We are grateful for his leadership, his involvement in this calling, and he will be missed. It’s not good-bye, it’s ‘see you around.’ “

Katherine Suckle, Assistant Principal was new to her role when Msgr. Long arrived. “Monsignor Long will be greatly missed. I had the honor of learning the ropes so to speak at St. Joseph Catholic School at the same time he did. It wasn’t always easy but having somebody there that cared as much about St. Joseph Catholic School as I do made my job much easier. I will forever be grateful for (his) support and guidance during his time with us.”

The list of obstacles and challenges he has faced in his assignment here would require more space than I must write, and surely there were moments when he felt that his efforts were in vain. Yet here we are, just six years later with a great principal who shares his passion for Catholic education, the pandemic is over, our campus is more secure, and our Catholic identity has never been stronger.

A few of our elementary students had an opportunity to share their thoughts on Msgr. Long:

“You can be funny and really holy.”

“When you come into the church you brighten up the place and make it feel like home.”

“When you come into our room you are always welcoming.”

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived — that is to have succeeded.” By that description, Msgr. Long has succeeded at SJS. We are a better school for his pastoral leadership, and we look forward to seeing how he builds up the kingdom of God at his next assignment.