St. Joan of Arc School Adds Scholarship Named for Queens Beloved Priest – thetablet.org
JACKSON HEIGHTS — Maryhelen McCaffrey was a student at St. Joan of Arc Catholic School in 1980 when Father Stephen Valdazo came to the parish.
Since then, Father Valdazo, a native of Spain, has been a presence in her life, as well as in the lives of those at St. Joan of Arc Parish and its surrounding Jackson Heights neighborhood.
Now, as a kindergarten teacher at the school and the mother of four, McCaffrey is excited that a scholarship has been named in honor of the beloved priest.
Father Christopher Heanue, the parish’s new pastor, said he created the scholarship to honor Father Valdazo, but also to help families afford the blessings of Catholic education for their children.
“He was just a constant presence for me,” McCaffrey said. “He concelebrated at my marriage. And with each baby, I told him it was time for another baptism. He was always ready.”
Father Heanue, who was installed Sept. 28, said scores of people are fond of Father Valdazo.
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“He has seen generations of parishioners,” Father Heanue said. “He has seen pastors come and go.”
Father Valdazo, who recently turned 91, now resides at the Ozanam Hall Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility in Bayside, Queens. He was unavailable for an interview for this story. Regardless, his life story is well-known by the parish community.
Father Heanue said the senior priest was a member of the Piarist religious community before coming to Brooklyn, where he had pastoral assignments at several parishes.
But, once he reached St. Joan of Arc Parish, he never left, Father Heanue said.
Retired pastor Msgr. William Hoppe, Father Heanue’s predecessor, and Deacon Jorge Castillo both described how Father Valdazo happily availed himself to parishioners and their children.
“He formed a number of different Hispanic groups,” Msgr. Hoppe said. “He was very active, very amiable, and very much liked.”
Deacon Castillo said the priest never wanted to be a pastor because he felt that managing a parish would detract from ministering to the people.
“His company was felt,” Deacon Castillo said. “His Masses were alive. And he would go visit the sick and anoint them. He used to have pilgrimages to the Holy Land, to the Marian shrines, and he would have a lot of people traveling with him.”
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He especially loved students, said Principal Agnes Mosejczuk, who first met him when she joined the school as a teacher in 2010.
“Father Valdez was always walking around with a big smile, visiting the school, talking to all the children, always sharing a joke, and making children smile,” Mosejczuk said.
The Valdazo Scholarship is part of Father Heanue’s efforts to rev up enthusiasm among parishioners to support the parish school.
At his installation on Sept. 28, the new pastor announced the “Father Christopher Heanue Installation Challenge” for donors to commit to funding for the school for five years – an effort separate from the Valdazo Scholarship.
“I’m leveraging the excitement of the installation to invite the parishioners to support the school.” Father Heanue said.
Msgr. Hoppe said adding Father Valdazo’s name to the scholarship is a key draw.
“They’re hoping that his popularity will help that to grow,” Msgr. Hoppe said. “The school certainly could benefit from that kind of support.”
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