Bishop visits St. Joseph School

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press

WEBSTER – Like any good teacher, Bishop McManus asked and answered questions Sunday at a Mass kicking off Catholic Schools Week for St. Joseph Elementary School.
“Why do Catholic Schools exist?” he asked. “Do we really need them today?”
“Jesus is the reason for the school,” he said, answering his first question. There, students are introduced to Jesus daily.
“Absolutely!” The bishop said passionately, in answer to his second question. He said “the Catholic Church is under attack” as legislation is passed limiting Catholics’ ability to run their schools and other institutions.
He said Catholic schools teach the truth about other key questions: Where have I come from? (God.) Where am I going? (To God.) How do I get there? (By keeping my eyes on Jesus, the way, truth and life.)
Bishop McManus asked for prayers that Catholic schools be strengthened and well supported, and get tax relief so they can flourish.
He was preaching at the annual Migration Mass held at St. Joseph Basilica to celebrate Catholic education and the cultural diversity at the parish’s school. The Mass celebrated Catholic Schools Week, being observed nationally from Jan. 29-Feb. 4 this year.
Students, many wearing traditional dress from their families’ countries, carried flags of 22 countries and U.S. territories, plus the Vatican, Massachusetts and St. Joseph’s School flags.
The largest contingent – 27 students – came with a flag from Poland, not surprising given the parish’s Polish roots. Next highest were Kenya and Italy, with six students each.
Bishop McManus said in his homily that the procession was a reminder that the Catholic Church is home to people of different nationalities. He noted that at St. Paul Cathedral now, one Lord’s Day Mass is in English, the other three in Spanish.
“The Church is not a country club that you pay dues to get into,” he said. “God has chosen you and me to be part of the body of Christ.”
At the end of Mass Father Grzegorz Chodkowski, St Joseph’s pastor, presented the Partners in Education Award to Joey Boudreau, volunteer athletic director, coach and technology committee member. He is the husband of Beth Boudreau, the school’s principal.
The couple enrolled their children in the school in 2013 after several years of home schooling, says a biography in the program for the Mass. Mr. Boudreau was assistant junior varsity soccer coach and assistant boys varsity basketball coach before assuming the volunteer position of athletic director in 2018. He helped establish the school’s cross-country program, and last season coached the soccer team to an undefeated season.
Mr. Boudreau, senior engineering manager at an international software company, is a liaison for all St. Joseph Elementary’s technology decisions. For many years he coached the Lego Robotics teams. In 2016 two teams went to the state championship, where one won first place and one second place, in different categories. In 2018 The Metallic Meteorites was named the most inspirational team at the state championship tournament at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Mr. Boudreau also assists with St. Joseph’s drama club productions and streams awards assemblies on social media, among other things.
Mr. Boudreau expressed appreciation for the award and recognized the work of other coaches, and teachers, parents, clergy and his wife.
The Boudreaus’ youngest child, Leah, a St. Joseph’s eighth-grader and the student council president, and her classmate Marcus Muchiru, student council vice president, gave Bishop McManus a gift basket.
After Mass these two students, accompanied by adults, gave Bishop McManus a tour of the school during an open house.
As teachers showed him some of their class projects, it was the bishop’s turn to learn.
He learned about hydroponic plants students grow, and colors they’re taught about in art. In the Spanish-language classroom the bishop offered to celebrate the school’s Spanish Mass.
He heard about a fourth-grader’s favorite saint and saw first-graders’ planets and eighth-graders’ World War I posters, among other projects.


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