Reflection from Fr. Joseph

We continue our series of Hometown Holiness with a fellow who served in my hometown of Baltimore: Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos.

Francis Seelos was born in Germany in 1819, as one of twelve children (such big families – what a blessing!). He felt a vocation to the priesthood from a very young age, and initially joined the seminary with a plan to serve as a parish priest in his home country. But God had other plans – one day he picked up a newsletter about the need for priests to serve the German immigrants to America. He was very moved by the struggles of the immigrants, and felt the stirrings of the Spirit to dedicate himself to serving their spiritual needs in the New World.

He joined the Redemptorist religious congregation and was ordained in Baltimore. He served in parish work in Philadelphia (where he worked as the parochial vicar to another saint, St. John Neumann), Baltimore, in western Maryland, Detroit, and New Orleans. During those days, there were only five dioceses in the entire country: Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, and Bardstown, KY. So priests were often moved to far-flung locations to minister.

During his later years, he accepted the task of being an itinerant missionary priest, traveling the country and giving retreats and hearing Confessions in both English and German. People would come to him from quite a distance, drawn by his reputation of holiness, gentleness, and wisdom. He even came through Connecticut on many of his missionary tours!

In his last assignment in New Orleans, a plague of yellow fever broke out. Like a faithful shepherd, he stayed with his flock and visited his sick and dying parishioners in the hospitals. Due to his great charity, he caught the plague himself and died of it in 1867, at the young age of 48. Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, pray for us!

Parish News

Readers Needed!

We are looking for a few new readers for Mass! If you love the Word of God, consider proclaiming it at Mass. You must be a confirmed and practicing Catholic (teens welcome!). Please contact Deacon John Tuccio at deacon.tuccio@stjuderc.org for training.

Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference

Calling all Catholic men! All men are invited to the 15^th Annual Connecticut Catholic Men's Conference in West Hartford on Saturday, September 24^th (https://ctcatholicmen.org/). Dynamic talks by our very own Bishop Caggiano - along with other national Catholic speakers such as Fr. Chris Alar and Fr. Larry Richards - lively music, Mass and Adoration, and fraternity with other Catholic men. You can register online - and speak to Fr. Joseph if you want to go FOR FREE (limited free tickets are available). Hope you can make it!

Day With Mary Retreat

All parishioners are invited to celebrate Our Lady's Birthday at St. Jude's with a special Day With Mary Retreat on Saturday, September 10 (her birthday is Sept 8th). This retreat features talks, Mass, a movie about Our Lady, dynamic talks from the Franciscans of the Immaculate, and fellowship. The retreat is free and runs from 9am-2pm here at St. Jude's. All are welcome! For more information, visit https://daywithmarywest.org/ .

RCIA Introduction on October 9th

A good and wise pastor once said, “A key trait of a Catholic is someone who believes life is worth living!” If you or someone you know is interested in exploring the truth about the Catholic faith and learning how it makes life worth living, please join me on October 9th at 2:30 pm in the Msgr. Sabia Social Hall. We will discuss the RCIA process and how it helps bring you closer to Christ in preparation for initiation into the faith. Please contact Deacon David at deacon.flynn@stjuderc.com. 

Youth are invited to bring their backpacks to all Masses this weekend of August 27-28.

Fr. Joseph will be blessing the backpacks and backpack prayer cards will be available to attach to backpacks for the start of the school year. 

We pray that the children of our Parish have a good start to the new school year.

Youth Day of Service  

Several youth and parents went with Fr. Joseph to the Thomas Merton Center in Bridgeport this week to help them stock their food pantry, which services those in need in the Bridgeport area. 

Would your child like to be part of our new

St Jude's Kid's Club? 

It will be a junior version of our youth group geared toward elementary school aged children

in grades 1-5 and based on the format of our

Camp Adore VBS - games, faith based activities, Adoration, and songs.

The group will meet on the first Sunday of the month and launch on the afternoon of October 2. More details will be announced soon! 

Adult and teen volunteers are needed!

If you are interested in volunteering or registering your child to be a part of the group,

e-mail Jessica Iannotta for more information.

Save the Dates for our next Softball Games! 

Sunday 9/25 2-5 pm is the Parish Softball Game against St. Stephen's Parish

Location: Upper Baseball fields at Great Hollow Lake. Optional practice Sunday 9/11.

E-mail Jessica Iannotta to RSVP and for more information

Next Mom's Group this week!

Next meeting this coming Wednesday 8/31 at 7 pm in the social hall to finish discussing our summer book club on Living Joy by Chris Stefanick. See the Parish office if you need a free copy of the book.

Our next monthly mother's Zoom rosary is 9/7 at 9 pm and will continue on the first Wednesday of every month e-mail Jessica Iannotta for more information

Stay tuned for more Fall events to be announced soon.

Youth Encounter nights start September 16th, see you there!

Please remember in your daily prayers:

Marge Tranzillo, David Nicolett, Maria Bertone, Deacon Ronnie Bicknell, Marie Micholovich, Vincent Daniello, Dyana vander Wielen, Joe Pinto, Ray Schwartz, Zoey Frigo, Daniel Louis Bianco, Max, Hung Vu, Alfred Zawadski, Michael Serke, Kristen Kelly, Leroy Moye, Richard Carrano, Dr. John Kezel, Joseph Sheridan, Francisca Testa & family, Catherine Belanger, Stephen Henn, Manny Cambra, Bennett Gulyas, Tom Pleva, Andrew Henn, James Buturla, Violeta Shala, Vito Melfi and Amanda Alarcon

All healthcare workers, first responders, caregivers and the men and women in the military.

If you have anyone that you would like to add to the list, please call the office or email with the name to be added.

Prayer works! It is so wonderful to see how God is moving in the lives of our parishioners, so we share the following note from Ray Schwartz, who has been on our prayer list for about a year. He has made a significant recovery, in large part due to the prayers of the St. Jude community. Please keep praying for the sick and distressed of our parish!

For the prayer warriors who keep close tabs on the prayer requests in the newsletter, you’ll notice something different this week. My name is not on it! I have reached a point in my physical recovery where I can come off the list.

After almost 14 months I can say three things with assurance:

         1.    I’m feeling as good as I have since early last summer.

         2.   God is good in giving me the grace and blessings of my recovery, and

         3.   The prayers of this community were a major factor in helping me   

                           realize #1 and #2 above.

There is much I’ve learned and gained over the last year, and one major realization is that prayer works. 

I’ve been amazed and humbled at the outpouring of prayers and support from you all. There is no rhyme or reason for my illness and then again, no rhyme or reason for my recovery. It wasn’t me. It was God’s grace for me, in part because of the countless prayers of you all. Keep praying for the people on this newsletter list. I am praying, because I know prayers work. I am proof of that.

My deep and sincere thanks to the St. Jude’s community.

Ray Schwartz

Please join us in praying our Monthly Parish Intention. 

Our Petition for August is:

As we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, we ask our Blessed Mother's intercession for all persecuted Christians that this reign of terror may end,

    We pray,  Hail Mary.....

Upcoming Mass Intentions

Sat Aug 27   4:00pm           Domkowski Family

Sun Aug 28   7:30am           St Jude Parishioners

Sun Aug 28   9:30am           Patty Eng

Sun Aug 28   11:30am         John and Olga Saad

Mon Aug 29   9:00am           Carolyn O’Neall

Tue Aug 30    9:00am           Carolyn O’Neall

Wed Aug 31   9:00am           Elaine Organek

Thu Sep 1      9:00am           John and Rose Nigro

Sat Sep 3       8:30am           Ginny Jessup

Sat  Sep 3      5:00pm           Gail Iannotta

Sun Sep 4      7:30am           Charles J. Olivia

Sun Sep 4      9:30am           St Jude Parishioners

Sun Sep 4      11:30am         Lorraine and Henry Pacheco

The Tabernacle Candle will burn in memory of the Barriuso and Arribas families during August. The Tabernacle Candle will burn in memory of Denise Borrs during the month of September

If the 9:00 am Weekday mass is not listed, an intention has not been requested. Also, there are no public Masses on Friday mornings.

Monday through Thursday Weekday Masses will be in the main Church at 9 am and live streamed.

The Weekend Masses inside the Church are Saturday at 5:00 pm and Sunday at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30. Only the Saturday Mass at 5:00 pm and the Sunday 7:30 am Mass are live streamed.

(Live-streamed Masses may be viewed at https://www.stjuderc.org/view-masses.html )

St. Jude Religious Gift Shop is located downstairs in the Msgr. Sabia Social Hall. Fr. Joseph's Books and CD's are available in the Gift Shop. Also new items: Gifts and cards, statues, rosaries and more. Come in and browse. Call Fran Cambra 203-261-2573 or Parish Office 203-261-6404.