Wishing Each and Everyone a
Happy, Healthy and Blessed New Year!
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A Message from Father Henry |
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Fellow St Jude Parishioners:
Recently, we celebrated the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. This past year, with our ongoing pandemic, we have heard the word, ‘family,’ frequently in the media. “Stay home with your family.” “Celebrate the Holidays with your immediate family only.” “Isolate with your family,” and so many more. Many of us have, indeed, been home with family a lot this year because of the cancellation of school, and other outside activities, and work at home options. Let us continue by all making a New Year’s Resolution to continue to spend time with family, with the focus on quality over quantity.
Psychologists talk of quality vs. quantity time. We know that it is possible for people to be in the same room and yet, not be communicating with each other, each one focused on their own activity. It is possible for a family member at dinner to be busy texting on his/her cell phone and thereby not plugged into the family dynamics of sharing a meal together.
If we are to look for a silver lining within the horrible Coronavirus, let it be that it has given us the opportunity to spend more time at home with our families. So, again, let this be our New Year’s Resolution. To continue to spend quality time with our family. We may soon see the end of this horrible pandemic which has spanned most of 2020. Life may soon return to ‘normal,’ and our families will go back to their outside activities. Let us not lose, and let us continue to really focus on nurturing our family relationships. Let us continue to spend time talking and listening, dedicating some media-free, tech-free time each week. Let us continue to ask questions, share stories, share meals and laugh together.
One of our St Jude family members recently sent me this beautiful reflection and I would like to share it with you as a New Year’s Challenge. Although we are still in the midst of winter, thinking about planting a garden connotes thoughts of spring, thoughts of hope and new growth - new family relationships. Let us enter into 2021 with renewed feelings of hope, peace and love:
A Garden for the New Year (2021)
Plant three rows of peas:
Peace of mind
Peace of heart
Peace of soul
Plant four rows of squash:
Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash grumbling
Squash selfishness
Plant four rows of lettuce
Lettuce be faithful
Lettuce be kind
Lettuce be patient
Lettuce really love one another
To conclude our garden we must have thyme
Thyme for each other
Thyme for family
Thyme for friends
Important: Water freely with patience and cultivate with love!
Sincerely yours as a fellow member of the St Jude Parish family:
Fr Henry
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Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
Please view Fr. Henry's Homily above.
(This homily was recorded via live-stream of the Vigil Mass on 12/31/2020)
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Feast of the Epiphany * January 3, 2021
Fr. Henry's reflection on the feast of the Epiphany
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A New Year's Resolution
10 Minutes of Prayer a Day
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We hope that you have all received your copy of Matthew Kelly’s Book, “I Heard God Laugh.”
As Fr. Henry said in his letter inserted into the book, we hope that all of you will join him in 10 minutes a day of prayer, a conversation with God. You will hear more about Kelly’s book from Fr. Henry in his January homilies
Reflection questions for this week:
• Do you take time each day to pray or do you only turn to God in times of need?
• Is gratitude included in your prayer?
• Is listening part of your prayer?
Kelly’s quote for the week: “He speaks gently to you throughout the day, and delights in those moments when you sit with him in solitude.”
Visit our January Padlet for more about Prayer and to add your thoughts, comments and answers to the above questions. Read what others are posting.
Password is Jude
If you were not able to pick up your free copy of Matthew Kelly’s Book at Church, we have them available at the office. If you are not able to come to the office to get your book, please call the office at (203)-261-6404, and we will arrange to get you a copy.
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Neither The Grinch Nor The Coronavirus
Could Steal Christmas
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Neither The Grinch Nor The Coronavirus Could Steal Christmas
Despite the complications that the restrictions presented, our St Jude Parish family still found a way to celebrate Christmas together!
Planning meetings began in early November among our committed and devoted and talented lay leadership to figure out how to best make Christmas for our St Jude family of parishioners.
The number of lay leadership and parish volunteers that it took to make it all happen is too long to list here. But special thanks goes to Vic Eng, Rich Lane, Regina Schwartz, Denny and Cathy Ritch, Brian and Jana Veo, David Baranowski as well as the other members of the army of lay leadership and volunteers who worked through the details of organizing our Christmas masses, as well as putting together our virtual Christmas Concert video and virtual Christmas Greeting video.
And the efforts paid off! We — our St Jude Parish Family — were able to come together, either showing up in-person, or logging in virtually!
For our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day masses, we had 601 parishioners pre-register for attending masses in-person. And we did not want to turn anybody who did not preregister away from attending masses in-person. So we came up with a system to allow walk-in’s to register. And we scheduled for simultaneous masses in the social hall, to accommodate the fact that we could only have ninety parishioners at a time in the main church.
For those of our parish family who do not yet feel comfortable coming to worship in person, in the Church, we had 493 views on our website for our livestream Christmas masses. And some of you who watched the 7:30am Christmas Day mass from the comfort of your homes then drove to the parking lot afterward and came out with your umbrella to receive communion outdoors in the rain.
We had a total of 342 views of our Christmas concert. Special thanks to David and Jennifer Baranowski for sharing their talents! And even their eight-year-old Vincent sang as well. And violinist Rachel Handman joined in the performance. And what a performance it was, putting us all in the Christmas spirit!
We had 193 views of our Christmas greeting. It was so good to see and hear our parishioners express a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one another.
Yes, Christmas 2020 was so very different from any of our previous Christmases. But we as a parish family still did manage to come together virtually or in-person for our masses, as well as our Christmas concert. And, again, we had the opportunity to visually wish each other a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year through our virtual Christmas Greeting.
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Thanks from Blessed Sacrament
A thank you note from Blessed Sacrament Food Pantry was recently received, The St. Jude Community has always been generous in donating food. Special thanks go to Jeff and Liz Romeo for organizing and maintaining the St. Jude Food Pantry. And thanks to the Knights of Columbus for always remembering people in need both in and outside the parish.
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Please remember in your daily prayers:
Mike Piatt, Marge Tranzillo, Judy-Beth Raine, Maria Bertone, Deacon Ronnie Bicknell, Marie Micholovich, Patty Eng
Also remember all healthcare workers, first responders, caregivers and the men and women of the parish who are 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.
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Please join us as we pray our Monthly Parish Petition.
Our intention for January, 2021:
As we begin our New Year, may we pray:
"JESUS I TRUST IN YOU"
We pray to the Lord
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Upcoming Mass Intentions
Fri Jan 1 all masses St. Jude Parishioners
Sat Jan 2 4:00pm Laszlo & Ilona Gaal
Sun Jan 3 7:30am St. Jude Parishioners
Sun Jan 3 9:30am Sime & Drina Jovie
Sun Jan 3 11:30am Vincent Casa
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.
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Mass Schedule and Registration |
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Monday through Thursday Weekday Masses will be in the main Church at 9 am and live streamed. (This Mass may be viewed at https://www.stjuderc.org/view-masses.html )
The Weekend Masses inside the Church are Saturday at 4:00 pm and Sunday at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30. The Saturday Mass and the 7:30 am Sunday Mass are live streamed. (This Mass may be viewed at https://www.stjuderc.org/view-masses.html )
Pre-registration is required for all weekend
For those of you who do not feel comfortable attending mass inside the church, please watch the Sunday 7:30 am live-streamed Mass. (This Mass may be viewed at https://www.stjuderc.org/view-masses.html ) on 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.
--Fr. Henry
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Confession Hours
Confessions on Saturday afternoon will be in the day chapel at 3:00 pm on Saturdays. Confessions are also by appointment, please call 203-261-6404, to set up and appointment or emailing.
First Friday Adoration 7- 8 PM
Children's Rosary First Sundays
We meet at 11 am before the 11:30 Mass by the Blessed Mother statue and follow proper covid protocols. No experience necessary.
Office Hours
THE OFFICE HOURS ARE:
MONDAY - THURSDAY 9:00 – 3:00
During the holiday closure, Fr Henry will be checking voicemails regularly and will respond promptly.
Please 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.
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St Jude Parish
707 Monroe Tpke
Monroe, CT 06468
203-261-6404
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