Sister Jude Boyce recognized as distinguished Catholic educator
By Joe Sapia | Correspondent
Sister of St. Joseph Jude Boyce had a dream.
“I wanted to get married, have six boys and teach first grade,” she said.
At 17, while sitting in a senior-year English class at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls in her hometown of Philadelphia, she had an epiphany. Through the window, she saw a group of male football players, from another school on the campus, being led by a religious sister.
“I truly believe God asked me at that minute,” said Sister Jude, now 63, telling of how it came about for her to pursue a vocation in religious life.
Why exactly she was moved then, she cannot explain.
“Maybe it was the fact she was playing football with those kids,” Sister Jude said. “I never doubted since then.”
Her dream to become a sister came true in 1966 through the Sisters of St. Joseph, the order that taught her in elementary school. An earlier dream, being an educator, came true two years later.
Today, Sister Jude is principal of Asbury Park’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, which has 190 students generally from the Asbury Park-Neptune area in grades kindergarten to eight.
This school year, she is putting the school further on the map, having been named the one distinguished principal in the13-diocese New Jersey-Pennsylvania Region of the National Catholic Educational Association. Chosen from a pool of more than 6,000 principals across the country, the award winners are nominated by their diocesan superintendents for their inspirational leadership, dedication to academic excellence and a strong commitment to offering their communities quality, faith-based education. The Distinguished Principal Award was established to recognize that principals embody the very best of Catholic education.
“The award is certainly affirming to me,” Sister Jude said. “I feel that it would not have been awarded without working with so many good people. I feel it’s an award for parents, teachers and staff.”
Sister Jude looked to Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s challenging curriculum, friendly climate, parental satisfaction and increasing enrollment as qualities leading to the award.
When Sister Jude became principal at Our Lady nine years ago, the enrollment was 124. Now, it is 190 – 60 percent of which is Hispanic.
She attributes the growth to Divine Word Father Miguel Virella, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, for attracting fellow Hispanics. But she also attributes the student body growth to “working at it.”
Growth comes from having a good staff and supportive parents, said Sister Jude, who also teaches mathematics in the school. Much growth, she believes, comes from satisfied parents spreading the word.
JoAnn Tier, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, approached her in September about submitting an application for the award as the diocese’s representative, Sister Jude said. The deadline was in early November.
A few weeks later, Tier told her she had won. Then, she received written confirmation from the NCEA around Christmas.
Sister Jude’s immediate assignment before Our Lady of Mount Carmel was St. Denis School, Manasquan, where she taught eighth grade.
In April, Sister Jude will honored with various award-winners at an NCEA reception in Houston.
Sister Jude is traveling to Houston with three other sister-friends: one from North Carolina and two locals, Sister of Mercy Joanne Tarpey, who teaches religion and Spanish at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and Sister of St. Joseph Lois Jablonski, administrator of the Stella Maris Retreat Center, Long Branch.
“(Sister Jude’s) leadership is a model for all in empowering students to be rooted in the faith, to be life-long learners and to realize that the power to accomplish dreams lies within the individual,” Tier said. “Sister Jude is a spiritual leader, administrator, teacher, nurturer, advancement director, daily presence and a safe harbor for students.”