Father Jude Thaddeus Lawsamba is spending his third summer in Maine, on a break from his studies in Rome.

     Father Jude completed a Master’s in Theology a year ago, and has been working for the past year on earning his PhD in Spiritual Theology.  He said his dissertation will focus on the relationship between seminarians and priests, and that his study will be based on the 1992 work of Pope John Paul II --  Pastores dabo vobis (I Shall Give You Shepherds). Father Jude’s dissertation will focus on the relationship between seminarians and priests in the ecclesiastical province of Bamenda, Cameroun and how that impacts collaborative ministry.

Father Jude, one of seven children, has been interested in the priesthood from an early age. His mother tells him that as a toddler he would come home after Mass and imitate the words and actions of the priest. He says he remembers being drawn to the priesthood while attending St. Martin de Porres primary school.  

Father indicated that his seminarian training was based on four areas of growth:  human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral, and that these aspects were intertwined and integral to one another. He said he was ordained 10 years ago, in April 2014, during the week after Easter.   

Since that time, he has served as a parochial vicar, then manager of a primary school and chaplain at Regina Pacis (Queen of Peace) secondary/high school. He has also served as a pastor.

Before heading to Rome, Father Jude founded Saint Michael Sports Academy, during a time of socio-political instability in Cameroun, when all the schools were closed. The Academy provided a place for children to have some structured time and also to develop some of their talents. While schools are now back in session, not all children can afford to attend, so the academy provides both girls and boys vocational training, as well as opportunities to improve their soccer skills.

Father Jude says he loves playing soccer and working with young people. He also enjoys music, in particular hymns and gospel music and has composed music for the liturgy. He also plays the drums.  

He said he finds Maine a lovely place and that the people are good, kind and generous. He says he feels very much at home in the diocese of Portland and perceives the people to be a God-loving people.