Spring Updates From The St. Jude CDC

from Celebrating our Clergy - June 2023

Saint Frederick High School

Barbara Humphrey, St. Jude Catholic Church Child Development Center

MY, HAS THE SCHOOL YEAR FLOWN BY. It seems as if we had just celebrated Christmas and it is now April and we have celebrated Easter. Spring is here with Summer just around the corner. Our St. Jude CDC kids have been busy.

Easter Week was an exciting and spiritual adventure for our students. They learned about Holy Week and actually presented a Passion Play for the parents with many of the students taking part in the play. Of course, everyone looked forward to the Easter Egg Hunt and everyone had baskets full of eggs and candy to take home. The parents enjoyed celebrating with the kids as they enjoyed all kinds of goodies.

Community Helper visitors are a wonderful asset to the teachers as they integrate the weekly themes with what is happening in the world and our neighborhoods. This Spring we have had visitors talking to the students about NASA, about Service Dogs and about the ER. We also celebrated the Day of the Military Child with our many students who have a parent in the military.

The Community Helpers week ended with all the students dressing up as what they want to be when they grew up.

Library Week was also celebrated along with Community Helpers week and students went to the church library to “check” out a book to take home to read. Our school year may be ending, but the students still have three weeks of adventures left as they explore the themes of Summer, Outdoors, and Fun as well as learn about people in the Bible during chapel.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 loved watching him interact with the kids. He is sincerely one of the nicest, most genuine, kindest and most Godloving persons I have ever met. He exuded warmth and joy. My only sadness is that he left us too soon. But we as Catholics know, our beloved priests are only “on loan” to us for a short time.

Last but not least, our very own, Father not Father, Msgr. Long. I still remember the day it was announced that we would be getting the-then Fr. Matthew Long as our new pastor. It was a Sunday 6pm Mass and I was sitting with my friend Sommer. As they said his name we both simultaneously squeezed the other’s hand, turned our heads and grinned like a couple of school girls. To say the energy of the church shifted to excitement is an understatement. At that time I had met Msgr. Long a few times and heard great things about his homilies. One of the most talked about homilies was one I sadly missed. It was at the return Mass after one of the men’s ACTS retreats. Apparently it was so good, the church gave him a standing ovation. Now that’s a great homily!

I could write several pages on the positive impact Msgr. Long has had on St. Joseph Church but since I only get one page I will give this example which I feel sums it up perfectly. As we all know, when COVID-19 hit and the world literally shut down, including churches, it was devastating on multiple levels. Watching Mass from home was not the same and brought angst to most of us who longed for the Holy Eucharist. As the government slowly allowed us to open back up, many people were very fearful even with all the precautions St. Joseph Church implemented. I was beyond ecstatic to be one of the first ones there on that Sunday morning. Although it took many months to get back to normal, looking at how much we as a church are currently thriving especially when so many Catholic churches across the country have sadly shut down, speaks volumes about our shepherd, Msgr. Long. I recognize he did not do it alone and want to also acknowledge his faithful sidekick during the pandemic, Fr. Kevin Mues. Together they were a dynamic duo and I am forever grateful.

Msgr. Long, you will be greatly missed. Fr. Duncan, your time here was short-lived, but you will be missed as well. May God bless you both with much love, acceptance, joy, and fun because, after all, priests need to have fun, too!