Patrick Lonergan: Father Judge High School, Class of 2022
Every saint has some significance to Christians as a guide or patron. Francis de Sales is a saint whose life and legacy are valued by Father Judge High School and so he continually reminds me of my school community and our values. St. Francis unites our school and challenges us to follow his advice and teachings in our everyday lives.
We are often told to “be who you are and to be that well.” At Judge, this seems to be the most well-known and favorite quote of our patron. Our teachers constantly call us to be “Salesian Gentlemen” and “Judge guys.” Both phrases are based on the teachings and spirit of St. Francis. Everything about my school and our community is modeled around his life and legacy. From Salesian banners and sayings to images and statues scattered around the school, his impact can be seen everywhere in the hallways and in the classrooms. During school events, games, and at the start of every class, we ask St. Francis to pray for us. In almost every classroom an image of our patron or a quote can be seen on the walls. The “Salesian Seven” is a code of student behavior based on the little virtues of St. Francis.
Since I started at Father Judge, each theology class has taught me more about the life and legacy of St. Francis DeSales. During my grade school visitation, I did not know what a “Salesian Gentleman” was. However, once I began classes and experienced life at Father Judge, I learned what all of these phrases and quotes meant. In theology classes and school assemblies we learned about the Salesian Seven: respecting yourself and others, recognizing our unique gifts and talents, being patient with ourselves and others, being gentle in all we do, being grateful in life, being positive as we go throughout the day, and being confident in ourselves. Some classes focused on one virtue while other classes focused on all of the virtues. At Judge, we learn to apply these teachings to our personal lives.
Through our Christian Service program, I learned the value of the saying “nothing is small in the service of God.” This is a core concept of Salesian Spirituality. It also gave me the opportunity to be gentle with others. Thus, all these Christian Service events led me back to Salesian Spirituality. So, within these four years, I not only learned what the many Salesian quotes meant but I also learned how to follow Jesus by living like St. Francis De Sales. To summarize my experience as a student at Father Judge High School, the gentle bishop of Geneva is the foundation for everything in our school.
St. Francis de Sales, pray for us!
