This weekend, September 2/3, the church plaza and doorway by the St. Jude statue will be closed due to necessary repair work. Please use the other door to enter the church. It may be easier to park in the School parking lot to enter the church avoiding the steps walking up the driveway from the back parking lot. Sorry for the inconvenience,

Reflection from Fr. Joseph

Whew! What a weekend! This year's festival broke records - we sold the most ride tickets that we have ever sold - by a huge margin! To look around at all the smiling faces (and a few who were looking a little sick after going on some of those topsy-turvy rides) was such a joy. The weather was good, and Jennie's porchetta sandwiches were a huge hit (and very delicious). The raffle sales, too, were robust as usual. In all, it was a great success.

We have received a few suggestions, particularly about how to improve the food situation. Please know that in the coming months, the team will be discussing solutions to make the food an awesome, delicious draw, like it was before. Stay tuned...

Speaking of "the team", we need to give a tremendous thanks to Paul and Nanette Seperack who once again were the chairpersons of this event. They gave up a week of their lives to organize and run the festival. From set-up to permits to contacting vendors to taking out the trash, the Seperacks were incredibly instrumental in making this Festival a reality. Thanks to all their hard work, this beautiful Monroe tradition continues! And thank you, too, to all those who volunteered - making sandwiches, providing hospitality, cleaning tables, selling ride bracelets...this is truly a community effort, and every year I am amazed at the can-do spirit of the people of St. Jude's. Many thanks!

Finally, we are tremendously blessed in our parish to welcome our new organist, Louis Vollono, who will be starting this weekend! Lou played during the month of July and received very positive reviews from all of our parishioners. He comes to our diocese after many years of playing organ for various parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford. He also started a new position teaching at St. Thomas Aquinas School in Fairfield, so he will be quite busy this Fall! But we are grateful to welcome him onto our staff and to continue to provide excellent liturgical music for all of our Sunday Masses!

Parish News

Aflame with Love for Christ

A Parish Resource Guide

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. 

Food Pantry Update

As the summer comes to a close our attention turns to the children of our pantry families returning to school, and although hard to imagine the cooler weather. As a result our pantry is in need of the following items: snack foods, coffee, tuna, Chef Boyardee, jarred pasta sauce and as always, boxed children’s cereal. Thank you again for your continued support to our ministry.

Hopeline Diaper Needs                                                                                                   

Hopeline Pregnancy Center has an immediate need for disposable diapers. They are currently very low with no size 4 or 6 and only a few left in size 5. Should you wish to help you can leave the diapers in the outer vestibule of the church. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

Healing Shawl Ministry

Thursday, Sept 8, the members of the Healing Shawl Ministry will receive their annual blessing from Fr. Joseph at the 9am mass. Following is brunch and a brief business meeting. If you are interested in learning more about this ministry, please join us! You don't need to knit or crochet in order to be a member. Contact Angela Baril, anbar123@aol.com, or 203-452-0432

Healing Shawls are available free of charge to parishioners,family members, or neighbors who need comfort during a physical, emotional or spiritual loss or other challenging situations. All requests are confidential. Contact Angela Baril for more information 203-452-0432 anbar123@aol.com.

THANK YOU

Thank you to all the dedicated Parish Festival volunteers who enthusiastically came out and donated your time, expertise, and muscle to make this year’s Festival a huge success. And thank you to all the parishioners who came with your family and friends to enjoy the Festival. Because of your continued support, ride ticket sales broke another record!

THANK YOU

Kid's Club 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.

This year's theme is "Be a Saint"

The group will meet on the first Sunday of the month and launch October 2 from 3-5 pm.

Sign up your child using this link.

Virtus trained Adult volunteers are needed!

If you are interested in volunteering,

e-mail Jessica Iannotta for more information.

Save the Dates for our next Softball Games! 

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

Location: Upper Baseball fields at Great Hollow Lake. Optional practice Sunday 9/11 at 2 pm

E-mail Jessica Iannotta to RSVP and for more information

Next Mom's Group Announcements

Next meeting Wednesday 9/28 at 7 pm in the social hall to begin the series Motherhood Matters on Formed.org.

We are currently praying the Surrender Novena together.  If you would like to join us, you can follow along the Novena here

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 a Fall Board and Brush event 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 intention for September is:

Lord, as the new school year begins, bless our classrooms with peace, our lessons with fun, and our friendships with kindness,

We pray.....

    Lord, hear our prayer 

Upcoming Mass Intentions

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

Mon Sep 5      9:00am           Salvatore Zucaro

Tue Sep 6      9:00am           Robert Lenihan

Wed Sep 7      9:00am           Ben Seamons

Thu Sep 8      9:00am           Angelo Mancini

Sat  Sep 10   5:00pm           Luis and Elvira Ferreira

Sun Sep 11    7:30am           St Jude Parishioners

Sun Sep 11    9:30am           Pinto and DeAndrade Family

Sun Sep 11    11:30am         Douglas Fleisch

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.