A Message from Father Henry |
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Fellow St Jude Parish Family:
My mother is very Italian and many years ago, when I was a seminarian, she was invited to a family reunion in the old country. Herself not being of greatest health, she offered that she would pay for me to accompany her to her family reunion, if I would be her escort. How could I, a poor seminarian at the time, turn down the opportunity to go to Rome and stay with my extended family!
In preparation for the trip of a lifetime, I studied up on my favorite artist — Bernini — whose artwork I would finally get to see for the first (and possibly only) time up close and for real. In particular, I prepared for the chance to see St Teresa in Ecstasy. Bernini, as only Bernini could do, captured St Teresa in the height of contemplative prayer, so caught up in love of God, that it was best represented by an angel piercing her heart with an arrow.
That was nearly twenty years ago. And the sight of beholding that work of art that so captured the ultimate prayer experience still moves me with awe.
I am sharing this with you now, because every year, on October 15, we celebrate the great St Teresa of Avila. She, out of all of the saints who lived, reached the highest levels of contemplative prayer, while still here on earth. And now we celebrate her living out the culmination of that contemplative prayer with all of the angels and other saints in heaven.
Teresa was born in Avila, Spain, in 1515, and entered a Carmelite Convent at age sixteen. There, for fifty years in the cloistered monastery, she committed herself to a life of prayer. In addition to reaching great heights in private prayer, she also reformed the entire Carmelite Order and founded the Discalced Carmelites, a group of cloistered nuns who to this day carry out that life devoted to prayer. She was made a Saint in 1622 and in 1970 was declared a Doctor of the Church for her writing and teaching on prayer.
Many people have developed a devotion to St Teresa of Avila because she was so real and her writings so accessible. Her relationship with God was intimate, her prayer was simple: “We need no wings to go in search of Him, but have only to look upon Him present within us.”
One of St. Teresa’s most famous prayers is so relevant in our troubled day and age. During these anxiety-filled times, I invite all of us to say this prayer daily, with the hope and expectation of experiencing the wisdom and peace that it can bring:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
Sincerely yours in our common quest for God,
Fr Henry
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Hello St. Jude Families! Fall is underway and our youth group is growing! Please join us for the following meetings. ALSO! We are now providing dinner to any teens who join.
October 18th @ 6 pm in the Social Hall (Seasons and the Church)
October 25th @ 6 pm in the Social Hall (What's Up with Halloween)
November 1st @ 6 pm in the Social Hall (Party like the Saints)
November 8th @ 6 pm in the Social Hall (Should we be Meditating More?)
November 15th @ 6 pm in the Social Hall (What is a Calling?)
November 22nd @ 6 pm - 7:30 pm in the Social Hall (Thanksgiving Celebration) *RSVP Required
Parents and other adult members looking to becoming involved we need volunteers! Time commitment is low, and the reward is high! Please send any questions to Shannon at shannon.carey@stjuderc.com.
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During the past six months of the COVID confinement, the Healing Shawl ministry has continued to keep busy knitting and crocheting Healing Shawls and Prayer Squares. (PSs) If you have been to Mass, you may have noticed, that the Prayer Square baskets are back! Our inventory is strong, so please help yourself to the Prayer Squares, located in the entries to the church. They have been blessed, are washable and made while praying by the dedicated members of the Healing Shawl ministry. During the height of the pandemic, our PSs were distributed at Danbury Hospital to some of the COVID patients.
Since 2007, the Healing Shawl Ministry has been meeting and working to provide spiritual comfort to those in need through our shawls and more recently the PSs. We have given away (there is no charge) over 700 shawls, most to individuals, but also to hospitals, Hospices and several Bereavement ministries. Although the recipients of our shawls are mainly from our local area and surrounding communities, they have been received by people as far away as England, Germany and even Australia.
Please contact Angela Baril, 203-452-0432 or anbar123@aol.com if you need a shawl for yourself, or someone you love for any reason, be it spiritual, health related, bereavement, loss of job, etc. And remember to give a Prayer Square to anyone you know, who might need to have a pocket size reminder that God is always with us.
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St Jude Novena
Tuesday October 20 - Wednesday October 28
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Your Word alone, Lord is our Hope!
Now more than ever before, we need our annual Novena to St. Jude as a welcome opportunity to come together in prayer as one Body of Christ and to seek his intercession as our patron saint of Hopeless Causes during these challenging times.
We are so blessed to have such a wonderful Saint as the patron of our beautiful parish!! St. Jude is most certainly one of the most powerful intercessors in our Catholic Faith. Perhaps, he has helped you or someone you love. The St. Jude Novena is an awesome opportunity to come together as a faith community to thank St. Jude for all he has done for us and to ask his assistance in those things that we still struggle with.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, masks and social distancing are required at all Masses, and we will be unable to provide refreshments. Sign up for Mass is required in the event of Covid-tracing requirements and can be done by clicking on the following link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A054BA5AE2EA20-stjude8
Our Novena Masses will be live-streamed as well and can be viewed on our website. www.stjuderc.org.
Please join us at St Jude Novena Reception on Sunday, October 25, 2020, at 12:30pm. Since the 11:30am mass on Sunday 10/25 will be our Novena mass, we are hosting a Covid-compliant reception immediately after the mass.
Location: the Plaza outside the church. (If raining or too cold, we will host in the social hall.)
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Knights of Columbus
OCTOBER ROSARY
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Hosted By
St. John XXIII Council 5987
Knights of Columbus
Monday October 26 Joyful Mysteries
Tuesday October 27 Sorrowful Mysteries
Wednesday October 28 Glorious Mysteries
Thursday October 29 Luminous Mysteries
Join Us in Prayer At The
“Mary, Madonna of Peace” Statue
6:30 P.M.
Please bring your own chairs
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Knights of Columbus Annual Needs/Food/Furniture Drive |
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The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a Needs Drive on Saturday, October 24, 8 - 10:30am. Donated items will be distributed to St Jude Food Pantry, Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Change Ministry & Hopeline (diapers & wipes).
Because of the Covid virus, we are only accepting items listed in the flyer (please click the picture to the left or the button below). To minimize contact & ease of distribution, we ask that you place labelled items for these organizations in bags or boxes which can be placed in your vehicle's trunk and can be unloaded by our volunteers. A note on furniture, we are hoping most parishioners can bring these donations directly to St Jude's on the day of the drive. If assistance is needed to unload furniture, we can help. If furniture transportation is not possible, we will make limited pickups the day of the drive at the donor location but only if the items are located in the garage or in the driveway. We will not enter homes for pickups to minimize risks.
Questions, please contact Rocky Scali, 203-767-6053 or Frank Flynn, 203-556-5016.
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If you are comfortable, Father Henry would like to visit you on the front lawn of your home (wearing facemasks and being Social Distanced). Schedule a visit by emailing me, fr.henry@stjuderc.com or calling the Parish Office (203-261-6404).
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St Jude Novena Reception on Sunday, October 25, 2020, at 12:30pm.
Since the 11:30am mass on Sunday 10/25 will be our Novena mass, we are hosting a Covid-compliant reception immediately after the mass.
Location: the Plaza outside the church. (If raining or too cold, we will host in the social hall.)
Children's Rosary
Children's rosary will resume this month on Sunday 10/18 at 11 am prior to Mass. All families are invited to participate and no experience is needed. We will follow proper covid protocols.
Food Pantry Needs
As the cooler weather descends upon us we are making arrangements to stock the pantry accordingly. Items in need at this time would be instant oatmeal, instant coffee, hot cocoa, canned soups and chili. Thank you again for your continued support of our ministry!
Mission Committee (Gift A Teen Drive)
Mission Committee will not be conducting our "Gift A Teen" Drive this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. Hopefully we will be able to resume our activities sometime in 2021.
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40-DAYS FOR LIFE PRAYER VIGIL
Wednesday Sept. 23 to Sunday Nov. 1, 2020
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, St. Jude Parish Pro-Life Ministry will not participate in the Vigil this Fall. Individuals wishing to attend, please click the Flyer to the right for registration information or contact Karin Tierney kjt1046@att.net for additional information.
Please continue to pray for an end to abortion and for a Culture for Life in our Country.
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Prayer for Vocations
O Lord, send workers for your harvest, so that the commands of your Only-begotten Son may always be obeyed and his Sacrifice be everywhere renewed.
Look with favor upon your family, the Church, and ever increase Her numbers. Enable Her to lead Her sons and daughters to the holiness to which they are called and to work for the salvation of others.
Through Christ Our Lord.
Amen.
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The St. Jude Religious Gift Shop is open in the Msgr. John Sabia Social Hall after the 9:30 AM Mass on Sundays and after the 4 PM Mass on Saturday night as well as by appointment Monday - Friday at 9:30 AM.
Gifts for all occasions include: Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Wedding, Ordination, baby gifts, bibles, statues, rosaries, medals, auto visors and a variety of cards such as Birthday, Get Well, Weddings and more.
Stop by, browse and find a truly meaningful gift for that special occasion. For information or an appointment please call Fran Cambra 203-261 2573 or the Parish office.
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Please join us as we resume praying our Monthly Parish Intention.
Our petition for October is:
We pray for an end to all abortions, and for respect for all life from conception until natural death,
We pray to the Lord
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Upcoming Mass Intentions
Wed Oct 14 8:30am Francis Carroll
Thu Oct 15 8:30am Frances Mudre
Fri Oct 16 8:30am Tony Costello
Sat Oct 17 4:00pm Luis Ferreira
Sun Oct 18 7:30am Tranzillo Family
9:30am Maria Emilia Monteiro
11:30am Yolanda & Joseph Riccio
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The parish office is taking Mass Intention requests for 2021. Requests will only be taken by phone (203-261-6404) or by email ( parish.office@stjuderc.com). For more information, please click here. |
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Mass Schedule and Registration |
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Please note that the 7:30 Sunday Outdoor Drive In Mass has been moved inside. For those of you who do not feel comfortable attending mass inside the church, please watch the 7:30am live-streamed onto your phone or computer and then come to the School parking lot to receive outdoor communion at 8:45am. Fr Henry will be distributing Communion every Sunday, rain of shine, at 8:45am in the School parking lot. If it is raining, I will walk to each of your cars with an umbrella. No obstacle is too large to prevent us from distributing communion.
We priests are the ones who, with Jesus acting through us, consecrate the Eucharist. And we are fully committed to making the Eucharist available to you.
Each generation has had to overcome the obstacles specific to its time and place to receive the Eucharist. We will continue to work through any obstacles particular to our time and place, to make the Eucharist available.
--Fr. Henry
Please note that the upstairs bathroom in main church is available for all weekend masses. Masks should be worn at all times. Social distancing is required at all times. Please be sure to arrive 15 minutes before Mass.
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Church Hours for private prayer
Church is open Monday to Friday 8am - 10am for private prayer.
Live-streamed Mass Schedule
Confession Hours
Beginning October 24 and continuing into the future, confessions on Saturday afternoon will be in the day chapel.
Confessions are required to be outside at 3:00 pm on Saturdays until the bishop gives us permission to go back inside the church, which he has not, and probably will not for some time. Confessions are 3:00 pm outside, behind the church, and also by appointment, calling 203-261-6404, to set up and appointment or emailing.
First Friday Adoration 7- 8 PM
Mass Intentions 2021
The parish office is taking Mass Intention requests for 2021. Requests will only be taken by phone (203-261-6404) or by email ( parish.office@stjuderc.com). For more information, please click here.
Office Hours
THE OFFICE HOURS ARE:
MONDAY - THURSDAY 9:00 – 3:00
It is suggested that you call (203-261-6404) or e-mail (parish.office@stjuderc.com) before coming to the office. Much can be accomplished through a phone call or email, such as requesting masses/mass cards; sacramental records; registering for Baptism; etc.
In the event you do come to the office, we will be following the state protocols:
- A face covering is required
- Social distancing will be followed
- If you are experiencing COVID-19 defined symptoms, or have had contact with someone with the symptoms please do not come to the office.
Signage will be posted on the front door with all directives to be followed when admitted to the office.
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St Jude Parish
707 Monroe Tpke
Monroe, CT 06468
203-261-6404
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