In recognition of 259 years of Anglican presence, 189 years as a congregation and 161 years in its present building, the Cathedral Church of All Saints is planning a week of activities beginning Sunday and culminating on Friday at the formal Patronal Festival Dinner in honor of Judith McDonald Richardson.

Sunday is All Saints Day, and the festival begins at 6:30 a.m. with the Holy Eucharist. Another Holy Eucharist will take place at 10 a.m. in conjunction with baptism and confirmation. At noon, a reception will be held in the Parish Hall.

Monday is All Souls Day, and the day begins with a 6:30 a.m. Mass. At 5:30 p.m. there will be a Blessing of the Graves.

Youth Day is Tuesday, and the day begins with a 6:30 a.m. Mass. At 9:15 a.m., Middle School Chapel will be held. At 6 p.m., Musical Night begins with performances by All Saints Cathedral School and All Saints Sunday School.

Wednesday is Fun Day, and the day begins with Mass at 6:30 a.m. At 9:15 a.m. High School Chapel will be held. Fashion Show and Fun Night begins at 6 p.m.

A Celebration in Music takes place on Thursday. At 9:15 a.m., Lower School Chapel will be held. Festival Music Night with the Cathedral Organization begins at 7 p.m.

On Friday, the Patronal Festival Dinner in honor of 2009 Diakonia Award winner Judith McDonald Richardson will take place at 7 p.m. at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and Spa. Attendance is a $100 donation per person, and formal attire is required.

Nov. 7 has been set aside as a day for rest and reflection.

Awarded annually, the Cathedral Church of All Saints Diakonia Award has been established "to recognize persons with a spirit of service in the quest for social justice and peace." In Greek, Diakonia means "to serve", and Richardson is being recognized for her service to the community in the area of early childhood education.

Richardson was born in Christiansted, St. Croix, on Sept. 11, 1947, to parents Dr. Sylvester O. McDonald and Eirene Canegata McDonald. She grew up on St. Thomas where she attended Ss. Peter and Paul Grammar and High School. In 1968, she earned a bachelor's degree in Child Development from Howard University.

After college, she returned to St. Thomas to begin her career as a Child Development Specialist with the Department of Social Welfare (now Human Services). She earned her master's in education with a concentration in Supervision and Administration from Bank Street College in New York, staying on with the Department of Human Services in various positions in the Divisions of Day Care; Children, Youth and Families; Volunteer and Special Programs; and Licensing and Regulatory Services.

In all of her positions, Richardson's work has focused on improving the care and education of young children in the Virgin Islands, from hands-on supervisory positions in the Day Care and Head Start programs to monitoring and licensing all territorial child care facilities.

Even since retiring from the Department of Human Services in 1998, Richardson's commitment to the betterment of the education of the territory's youth has continued through her work as an advocate for young children and families. She has taught courses in the Inclusive Early Childhood Education Program at the University of the Virgin Islands, and was an Early Literacy Facilitator for the Virgin Islands Institute for Teaching and Learning. She also continues to offer workshops at the annual "Best Beginnings" Early Childhood Conference as well as other learning opportunities for child care providers and parents of young children.

Richardson has served as the Director of the KIDS COUNT project under the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands for the past 10 years. In this position, she has continued to advocate for community involvement to affect positive changes in policy and programs responding to the needs of children and families in the territory.

She also advocates for children and families in her "Voices for V.I. Children" articles that appear in the Virgin Islands Daily News and the St. Croix Avis. Other contributions include the revision of the Child Care Licensure Laws and Rules and Regulations to ensure a better quality of care for young children, and her participation on a task force to develop courses toward a bachelor's degree in Inclusive Early Childhood Education at the University of the Virgin Islands.

She is an active member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, and she serves on the board of directors of The Family Connection, an initiative of The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands designed to strengthen the community child care and early education infrastructure in the USVI. Richardson is also secretary of the Schneider Regional Medical Center Governing Board.

She is married to Leslie "Whoopsie" Richardson, and the couple are the proud parents of three children, Neal, Leslie Jr. and Teneka, and nine grandchildren. Her favorite pastimes include visiting her children, grandchildren and other family members and friends who live on the mainland, as well as reading and gardening.

Said the Rev. Thomas W. Gibbs III of the Cathedral Church of All Saints, "She was chosen for the award because of the problems we are having in the education field. It's my belief that the early years are the building blocks of a good education, and even after retiring she's still working in that field and in her work with the Community Foundation. It's this kind of emphasis on a good foundation that's going to save our students, and she epitomizes consistent concern there."

For information or tickets, call the church office 774-0217 or e-mail asecathedral@viaccess.net or Reubina Gomez at 774-0511.

- Contact reporter Genevieve Ryan at 774-8772 ext. 340 or e-mail gryan@dailynews.vi.