St Matthews Catholic School, Sister Judy Lund letter to CouncilST. MATTHEW'S CATHOLIC SCHOOL
PHONE:406-752-6303 t FAX:406-756-8248
602 SOUTH MAIN ST., KALISPELL, MT 59901
EMAIL: OFFICE@ STMATTSAINTS.ORG WWW.STMATTSAINTS.ORG
June 30, 2025
Office of the Mayor
P.O. Box 1997
Kalispell, MT 59903
Dear Mayor Johnson,
The name "Sister Judy Lund" may already be familiar to you. Sister Judy has been teaching
Flathead Valley students since 1991. She has inspired, nurtured and guided hundreds of
children in that time. She was one of the driving forces in addressing teenage homelessness
with the creation of the Sparrow's Nest, and still campaigns for this organization. She is the
first to arrive at the school in the morning (no matter the weather), greeting students and
parents at the door, knowing their names and offering kind words and hugs. She continues to
teach in a classroom, instructing 5th and 6th graders in religious studies. It is no secret that
Sister Judy puts others before herself. We are in awe of her untiring faith and commitment to
the St. Matthew's School community and the people of the Flathead Valley. We want to honor
her and thank her for all she has done and continues to do, and we are asking for your help.
Sister Judy will turn 90 on August 315t. As a school, we will celebrate her the week of our
return to school after Labor Day. I have written you in the hopes that you will present Sister
Judy with a Key to the City. I cannot think of a more worthy recipient or one who has so
positively influenced generations of Montanans. I envision a school assembly with our
students, teachers, faculty and Bishop in attendance. We hope you would personally present
her the key at this assembly.
I would love to discuss this with you or a representative from your office. I know that your time
is very valuable, and I respectfully implore you to consider this request.
Since ly,
Melanie Golie
Office Manager
CC: Travis Ahner, Flathead County Attorney
Sister celebrates oil years as a teacher I Daily Inter Lake
Si s -te.,L" celebrates 60 rears as a
teacner
Sister Judy Lund hands out papers in her class on Feb. 3 at St. Matthew's in Kalispell. Lund has reached her diamond jubilee.
celebrating 60 years as a teacher.
By
HILARY MATHESON
Daily Inter Lake
ebruary '13. 2G95 O:+JL Pit
Sister Judy Lund of Kalispell is celebrating 60 years as a teacher. This also marks her 60th year as
a Dominican sister.
Teaching became her vocation after she entered the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1955 at 18
years old. Lund, 79, had been drawn to a life of service.
"Myfamilywas very service -oriented. They always were helping people, looking for causes," Lund
said. "In the '50s there really weren't the options women have today to do all those things. I mean
you could not go out and join the Peace Corps and all those neat things. Your only options were:
You could be a nurse, or you could be a teacher. You could get married or you could become a
sister."
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Her mother had been a klontessori teacher.
"I was playing at being a teacher from the time I was probably knee high," Lund said. "It's that
exuberance. It's that spontaneous joy that children have that gives me life and gives me hope. I
love nothing better when that little lightbuib goes on and there's the `a ha' moment."
Lund has taught at elementary school through college. She has been a literature, composition and
science teacher. Currently, she teaches scripture to fifth and sixth graders at St. Matthew's School.
Joining the Dominican sisters was a carefully weighed decision. Lund spent her senior year of
high school looking at her future.
"I had a scholarship. I was going to be a dental hygienist, but it's not fair to look at just one aspect
of life," Lund said.
She had an additional two years of instruction and preparation before professing her vows.
Ultimately, the sisterhood was her path to fulfillment.
She visited a few different orders, but nothing compared to a jeyb_tl encounter with the Sinsinawa
Dominicans.
"A. cousin suggested I see the Sinsinawa Dominicans. When I went to visit for a weekend I just had
a very overwhelming feeling, yep this is where I want to be for the rest of my life," Lund said.
"First of all it was their dedication to study and to teach, but the thing that was most obvious
when I went to visit was their overwhelming joy. They just radiated joy and happiness and when I
opened the door there was just this belt of laughter. I walked in, I said `oh, I feel at home here."'
Her vocation has taken her to Wisconsin — her home state — Illinois, Texas, South Dakota and
Colorado. Ultimately it also brought her back to Montana, a place she has visited since she S,+;as 10.
"I had a grandma and two uncles and an aunt who lived in Coram," Lund said, noting their last
name was Forsythe. `"When school was out from the time I was 10 to the time I entered [the
sisterhood] I came out to spend the entire summer with my grandma. When I entered I thought I
probably would never get back here again."
In 1991, she had a year -long sabbatical and came back to the Flathead Valley. Eventually, a third -
grade teaching position opened up at St. Matthew's. What was supposed, to last a year turned into
23.
"I've seen lots of changes here," Lund said. `The spirit of St. Matthew's, it just blossoms all the
time. The caring community of families and parishioners — everyone pitches in and helps."
Lund's recent cause outside of education has been raising awareness and money at St. Matthew's
for a community -led effort to create shelter for homeless teenagers called Sparrow's Nest of
Northwest Montana. There is one memory Lund will never forget — the time a homeless child
died in her arms while on a short trip to Bolivia.
"The thing that burns in my heart is holding this little baby that these homeless children had
found. I was holding it in my arms and it had such a fever that when I think of it I can still feel the
burning of that little body next to my arms. The baby's eyes closed and of course the baby died,"
Lund said. "We had an orphanage so we took those children into the orphanage."
-'When I came back I said that's not possible in the United States anymore and then to come and to
realize it's still very much a part. We have shelters for dogs and eats and horses and yet we can't
get shelter for kids," Lund said. "We're working on [Sparrow's Nest]. We're growing by leaps and
bounds. This parish and school have done so much it's become their passion."
When she's not dedicating her time to teaching or prayer, Lund enjoys hiking and camping in
Glacier and reading. But mostly on the weekends she can't wait to see her students on Monday.
They energize me, get me excited about teaching. Even with all the changes, in 60 years, kids will
still be kids whether they are in kindergarten or in college. I want to touch that child in them
again that sees the world as awesome. Maybe that's it," Lund said resting her chin on her hands. "I
want to encourage them to use their talents and gifts for their benefit, and the benefit of others_"