Reflection from Fr. Joseph

For the next few weeks, I’d like to use this column to introduce you to a few friends…saints who have a local connection! It’s amazing to think that saints walked in New Haven, New York City, upstate NYC…these very lands. Holiness comes in all shapes and sizes, even here in America!

Today, let’s start with the first American citizen saint: St. Francis Xavier Cabrini. Cabrini was an immigrant from Italy who worked tirelessly to help other immigrants like herself. Born in 1850, she was frail of health, and so was unable to join a convent of nuns. Undaunted, she formed her own community of nuns, focused on teaching. She had a burning desire to do mission work, so much so that she added “Xavier” to her name in honor of the great missionary Jesuit, St. Francis Xavier. When she spoke with the Pope about her desire to serve as a missionary in China and Japan, the Pope replied, “Go to the West, not to the East!”

Encouraged by this advice, she sailed to America and found the conditions of Italian immigrants to be deplorable. Even in the United States, Italian immigrants were considered low-class, uneducated, and troublesome. They were discriminated against because of their staunch Catholicism and basically lived in squalor and poverty. Cabrini knew that this was her mission – to serve immigrants like herself.

She began an orphanage in New York City, set up schools and hospitals, and found ways to minister to the very practical needs of the immigrants. Over the course of her lifetime, she established 67 different institutions: education, health care, and other social services…during a time when the government had very few charities and no social net for the poor. She ministered both in New York and in Chicago. She became a United States citizen in 1909, and hence is the first American citizen saint.

She has much to say to our modern world – she saw the dignity of all persons who were downtrodden, and found practical ways to put love into action through works of mercy. St. Frances Cabrini, pray for us!

Parish News

THIS FRIDAY August 12 is Family Movie Night! 

Families with children and teens are invited to join us at 7 pm

in the social hall for the movie Camp Cool Kids.

Snacks and beverages will be served

Bring a picnic blanket if your family would enjoy watching "picnic style" in the center of the hall, seats and tables will also be set up!

Please volunteer!!

The volunteer sign-up board is now up in the church vestibule! 

Please consider joining your fellow parishioners in volunteering a few hours of your time.

Together we can make our Parish Festival a huge success!

It’s that time of year and the Italian Festival is back! St Jude parish is delighted to invite you to join the business sponsor program for our 32nd annual Italian Festival held this year from August 24th through the 27^th. Thousands of people will be attending the festival to enjoy rides, games, raffles, nightly entertainment and of lots of great food.

Feast of Blessed Michael McGivney

The feast of Blessed Michael McGivney has been designated by the Vatican as August 13^th. This date was picked because it falls between the anniversary of his birth and the anniversary of his death. This year the events fall on a weekend. These are very special days for the Knights of Columbus worldwide.

In order to help not only the Knights of Columbus but the entire parish of St. Jude to celebrate the feast day of our founder and the 1^st CT parish priest to be raised to the honor of Blessed the St. John XXIII Council 5987 has arranged to have a first-class relic of Blessed McGivney at all the masses that weekend. After mass Fr. Joseph, council chaplain, will lead the Litany to Blessed McGivney followed by the Prayer for Canonization. There will then be time for private veneration.

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 monthly on Sunday afternoons and launch this Fall.  More details will be announced soon! 

Adult and teen volunteers are needed!

If you are interested in volunteering or having your child 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

Mom's Group - Save the Dates:

Next meeting 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.

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, Judy Thomas, Dr. John Kezel, Joseph Sheridan, Francisca Testa & family, Catherine Belanger, Stephen Henn, Robert Orol, 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.

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 13  5:00pm           Luis Posada

Sun Aug 14   7:30am           St Jude Parishioners

Sun Aug 14   9:30am           Sue Feller

Sun Aug 14   11:30am         Rita and Ron Broderick

Mon Aug 15   9:00am           Mary and Margaret Gallagher

Tue Aug 16   9:00am           Patrick Ryan

Wed Aug 17   9:00am           Angelina Medieros

Sat  Aug 20  5:00pm           Luis and Elvira Ferreira

Sun Aug 21   7:30am           Kevin O’Neall

Sun Aug 21   9:30am           St Jude Parishioners

Sun Aug 21   11:30am         Maria Emilia Monteiro

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

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 4:00 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.