Fr. Moore and Fr. McHugh celebrate 40 and 30 years of priestly ordination

Intermountain Catholic

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Fr. Terence Moore (left) concelebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi with Fr. Jim McHugh at St. John the Baptist Parish. The Mass was also to commemorate Fr. Moore's 40 years and Fr. McHugh's 30 years of priestly ordination. IC photos by Christine Young

DRAPER — "It is particularly fitting that Oblate of St. Francis de Sales Father James McHugh and I are celebrating our anniversaries on the Feast of Corpus Christi," said Father Terence Moore, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish.

An anniversary Mass commemorating the ordinations of Fr. Moore to the priesthood 40 years ago, and Fr. McHugh 30 years ago, was celebrated at St. John the Baptist Parish June 10. Fr. McHugh assists with weekend Masses at St. John the Baptist Parish.

Fr. Moore entered the seminary when he was 18 years old at St. Patrick College in Thurles County, Ireland, where he grew up on a farm. He was ordained June 10, 1967, and came to the United States in August of that same year.

"My heart is filled with abundant thanks as I celebrate 40 years in the priesthood," said Fr. Moore. "That is a long time and I realize it is really the many blessings that have come through all of the people with whom I have worked that has made time pass so quickly. It is also the diversity of ministries in which I have been involved. I have felt so spiritually nourished by the people I have served over the years. You truly receive so much in this vocation.

"When I arrived in Salt Lake City 40 years ago, it was a small city," said Fr. Moore. "I remember flying into Salt Lake and seeing just a few lights, and I thought my goodness I am really way out in a missionary area. I was regaled by stories of missionary priests from Moab to Monticello and Layton to Logan; of how Masses were celebrated using an ironing board or the back of a pick-up truck as an altar. That is really how the church in Utah started."

Fr. Moore said celebrating the Eucharist in these ways was no less important because it was still the celebration of the Paschal Mystery of our Lord.

In his homily Fr. Moore said every time we celebrate the Eucharist we are celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. We connect more with his suffering and death when we are experiencing pain or sorrow in our lives. We celebrate the risen Lord when things are going well.

"I started my ministry in parishes in Salt Lake City and that is how I got involved in social services and working with the low income and refugee populations," said Fr. Moore. "I worked for Catholic Community Services for seven years from 1986 until 1993.

Fr. Moore received his Master’s Degree and Doctorate Degree from the University of Utah in social work, and taught there on the faculty of the graduate school of social work. He now goes into the classrooms at St. John the Baptist Elementary School to spend time with children in kindergarten through second grade.

"We do interactive Masses with the children, so I have experienced a real contrast of working with graduate students and students at the young, innocent level.

"The counter point, of course, was serving as pastor of St. Thomas Moore Parish, Sandy for 14 years and at St. John the Baptist Parish the past eight years," he said. "They are, what you might call, comfortable suburban parishes.

"I have always enjoyed developing lay leadership," said Fr. Moore. "The Lord has always been good to me in surrounding me with wonderful lay people who have good leadership abilities."

Fr. McHugh was ordained a member of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales in 1977, in his home parish of St. Matthew in Long Beach, Calif. He was in Detroit, Mich., for seven years, and in Toledo, Ohio, for five years.

"I have been able to serve at St. John the Baptist Parish for the past 18 years. Wow!" said Fr. McHugh. "Perhaps it is because I have been able to spend more time in Draper, that I have developed closer relationships at St. John’s, which makes the ministry so special. Another blessing is the opportunity to work and pray with Fr. Moore. I thank him for not only building this church, but for building this parish community."

Fr. McHugh teaches honors and advanced placement chemistry and honors physical science at Judge Memorial Catholic High School, Salt Lake City. Fr. McHugh agreed with Fr. Moore that priests celebrate happy occasions and very sad times, but all in all, it is sharing life with the people in the parishes that makes being a priest so important.

Fr. McHugh was the priest when St. John the Baptist was a mission of Blessed Sacrament Parish, Sandy.

"When we moved to the Skaggs Center, Fr. McHugh made the transition easy," said Fr. Moore. "He is a very gifted homilist and the people just love him. I also want to acknowledge Deacon Paul Graham, because I am blessed to have him and a very devoted parish staff."