Today is the anniversary of the death of Fr. Thomas Judge, C.M., on November 23, 1933.
Father Judge was a dedicated missionary, a man of faith and action. He disturbed the religiously complacent with his thoughts and plans concerning what more could be done for the Church and souls. So great was his zeal, his prayerfulness, his self-sacrifice and holiness that by word and deed he constantly spurred others on to a similar life. His avowed purpose was to make every Catholic a missionary.
– from America’s Pioneer in the Lay Apostolate: Fr. Thomas Augustine Judge, C.M. (1868 – 1933) by David F. O’Connor, S. T.
He was ahead of his time in certain ways:
- He was convinced that the priest by himself was insufficient to meet the pastoral needs of the people and realized that the latent, but undirected power for good present in the laity must be tapped
- He demonstrated one of the key elements of systemic change: developing leadership skills and giving people– including lay women– the tools needed to perform the mission
Learn more about his Cenacle Family, and see how systemic change was and is evident in their ministries:
Thank you very Much!