Dear friends in Christ,
First of all, a HUGE THANK YOU to all those who helped with the Festival! By all accounts, this was one of the most successful ones ever. The line to get tickets on Friday night was literally stretching for a football-field length; the line for food on Saturday was equally as long! All of our volunteers were tireless, joyful, and hard-working. It is thanks to the selfless efforts of all of them that we had a great time, helped the parish financially, and brought the community together. A very special thank-you to Paul Seperack for all the many hours he put into the work of organizing, setting up chairs, and basically doing a little bit of everything! I am so grateful to have so many parishioners willing to "pitch in" and make this a hugely successful St. Jude's Festival!
On another topic:
A few years ago I was preaching one Sunday about the necessity for Catholics to read the Bible, which is so often ignored in the Church. After Mass, a rather grumpy fellow came up to me and said, "Father, I've been a Catholic for seventy-five years. I've never once read the Bible, and I'm not going to start now!"
Needless to say, I was taken aback! But there are indeed many Catholics who may have the view that once they graduate 8th grade CCD, they have learned everything there is to know about the Catholic Faith, and there is no need to crack open a Bible, pick up a Catechism, or attend a class on the Faith. But I can tell you that, even as a priest, I am still learning more about the Catholic Faith!
That's why, in addition to our Faith Formation for young people, we are offering a great number of opportunities for adults and teens to dive deeper into Catholicism this Fall! In fact, this weekend, please pick up a flyer in the church which will give information on the many ways to get involved here at St. Jude's!
The word "disciple" comes from the Latin word meaning "student". If we wish to be disciples of Jesus, we must be constantly learning from Him and from His Teachings through the Bible and the Church. It's not an "extra" for super-Catholics but something essential for EVERY Catholic. Unless we are growing in our faith, our faith will shrivel and weaken!
So, I want to encourage EVERYONE - even if you don't consider yourself to be a "super-religious person" - to learn more about Christ and His Teachings through a faith formation opportunity this Fall at St. Jude's. We have Bible studies, Catechism studies, studies based around The Chosen TV series, prayer groups, and opportunities to connect with good Catholic media! Do you want God to be a bigger part of your life? Come and see!
God bless you,
~Fr. Joseph
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PARISH FESTIVAL
THANK YOU TO ALL
Thank you to all who came out and supported our Parish Festival! You brought your families and their families, your friends and neighbors, and it was evident by all the smiles and positive feedback that a great time was had by all! That was the goal!
And a special thank you to all volunteers. Your hard work and dedication to the continued success of the Parish Festival is greatly recognized and appreciated. Set-up and take down crew, ticket booth, religious articles, raffle and fifty-fifty, hospitality, advertising, table cleaners and garbage, parking attendants, first aid and nurses, shrine, parish office staff,…because of your help, along with the spiritual guidance of Father Joseph and our Deacons, our 2021 Parish Festival was a huge success!
All the numbers are not in yet, but we do know of a few record breakers. According to Stewart, we sold an astounding record number of ride tickets and bracelets. We received 146,452 hits on social media. Our religious article booth also broke a record with the highest amount of sales ever recorded! This was in part due to Father Joseph’s generous donation of his books and cd’s. And his mini rock-out concert really helped to boost sales!! So thank you Father Joseph!
Once again, thank you to all!
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Religious Education News
We are saddened to announce that our Director of Religious Education (DRE), Donna Lane, has had to step back from her position due to increased time commitment at work. We are very grateful for the way in which Donna has served our Faith Formation programs in many ways throughout the years: first as a faithful catechist for many years, and then as our DRE during one of the most challenging times in recent memory (the Covid pandemic). She did a heroic job keeping the 500+ kids connected to the Church during the quarantine and beyond. Her presence here will be missed!
We are excited to announce, though, that our new DRE is Barbara Logsdail. Barbara comes to us after many years of working in the Catholic School system. She is the founder and former principal of two schools in the diocese (Anchor Academy, now Regina Pacis Academy, in Norwalk; and Cardinal Kung Academy in Stamford). She has many years of experience in both administration and ministry, with a heart for Christ and a heart for young people. I am delighted that she has accepted the position and we look forward to her time at St. Jude's Parish.
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More Religious Education News!
Religious Education registration will open up by the end of next week - please stay tuned! We are offering a choice of either in-person classes or digital classes. In-person classes will be on Sunday mornings (8:30-10:30, or 9:30-11:30 - including Mass) for the whole family - parents must stay, as there will be classes for the adults, and then the adults and kids will join up for a final time of discussion. Digital classes will use the MyCatholicFaithDelivered.com platform, and will have four in-person family formation sessions. Both classes will begin on October 3rd. Please stay tuned for a special note next week with instructions of how to register!
Altar Server Training!
All kids in grades 4-12 are invited to be trained to become an altar server! Training will be from 10am-11am on Saturday September 18 and Saturday September 25. You only need to attend one training session. For more information, please contact John Tartaro at j.tartaro@quadient.com .
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Catholic Young Adults!
The town of Monroe has a number of young adults (ages 21-39, married or single), and we want to gauge the interest of gathering as a Catholic young adult community. Many parishes/towns have wonderful young adult groups that gather for social, spiritual, service, and formation...we would like to see if there is the interest to form a group (or join an existing group). There are many different ways we could form a group - we could do a Bible Study, or a Faith On Tap series, or social/service events...lots of different options! If you are between the ages of 21-39, could you take the online survey found here:
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Parish Hiking Trip - All families are invited to join Fr. Joseph for some time of enjoying God's creation on our first-ever St. Jude's Family Hike! On Sunday, September 19th, we will meet after the 11:30am Mass and drive to Rocky Glen State Park in Sandy Hook, CT. Bring a Rosary and snacks/water and wear comfortable shoes. It's an easy trail with a great view - perfect for all ages!
Dash Through the Old Testament - How much do you know about the Old Testament? Many Catholics are afraid to explore the first half of the Bible. But this fall, please come and join Fr. Joseph on Monday nights starting Sept. 20 at 7pm for a quick dive into the Old Testament! Every Monday from Sept. 20-Easter (except for holidays), 7-8:15pm. No cost - no sign-ups, just show-up - and bring a Bible! Great for adults and teens alike!
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First Saturday Rosary and Mass
Join us Saturday, September 4, 2021
The First Saturday Devotion began when Mary explained the devotion to Lucia at Fatima, in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The devotion includes:
- Confession (shortly before or after the First Saturday)
- Holy Communion received on the First Saturday of each month
- The Holy Rosary, five decades recited sometime during the day; and
- Meditating for 15 minutes on the Mysteries of the Rosary (one or more)
We will gather in the church for recitation of the rosary at 8am with mass following at 8:30am. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available following mass for those that wish to partake.
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We are forming a Rosary making group.
The rosaries are made using the barrel knot.
The St. Jude Rosary makers will meet on Thursday September 9, at 6:00pm.
If you are interested, please contact Karen Talloni 203-952-3451.
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Town Hall Discussion for Faith Formation
All families are invited to discuss our Faith Formation opportunities and plans for the 2021-2022 year. We want to hear your thoughts, get your feedback, and share with you some ways in which we hope to offer your whole family an encounter with Jesus. Please join us in the Social Hall after any Mass on the weekend of August 28/29 or September 11/12 to join in the discussion!
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Parish Center available!
We are still marketing our parish center (former school building) with the hope of offsetting operation costs. Please contact the parish office for more information.
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Please remember in your daily prayers:
Marge Tranzillo, Judy-Beth Raine, Maria Bertone, Deacon Ronnie Bicknell, Marie Micholovich, Joseph Bisignano, Sr., Bennett Gulyas, Vincent Daniello, Armando Aversa, Dyana vander Wielen, Barbara Filazzola, David Bath, Martha Zenobia, Joe Pinto, Ray Schwartz, Daniel Louis Bianco, Zoey Frigo.
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 in praying our Monthly Parish Intention.
Our Petition for September is:
Through the intercession of St. Michael the Archangel, may we pray for an end to the evil of terrorism and violence in our world, and for the safety of our Military personnel,
We pray to the Lord
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Upcoming Mass Intentions
Sat Sept 4 5:00pm Charles J. Olivia
Sun Sept 5 7:30am Ray and Nett Bourdeau
Sun Sept 5 9:30am John Michols
Sun Sept 5 11:30am Frances Duh
Mon Sept 6 9:00am Rudolf and Milka Henn
Tue Sept 7 9:00am Patty Eng
Wed Sept 8 9:00am Patty Eng
Thu Sept 9 9:00am Ben Seamons
Sat Sept 11 5:00pm Luis Ferreira
Sun Sept 12 7:30am Mary Ellen Bolton
Sun Sept 12 9:30am Stephanie Stanley
Sun Sept 12 11:30am St. Jude Parishioners
Mon Sept 13 9:00am Charles and Delma Patterson
Tue Sept 14 9:00am Bob and Pat Stevens
Wed Sept 15 9:00am Deceased members of the Tuccio and
Rapuano Family
Thu Sept 16 9:00am Bill Thibodeau
Sat Sept 18 5:00pm Deceased Carlson and Delmastro
family members
Sun Sept 19 7:30am Julia DeSousa
Sun Sept 19 9:30am Knights of Columbus memorial mass
for all deceased members
Sun Sept 19 11:30am Maria Emilia Monteiro
The parish office is taking Mass intentions for 2022. Requests will be taken by phone (203-261-6404) or email parish.ofice@stjuderc.com.
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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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.
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People can call the parish office to arrange to be added to the sick bound and home communion call list, for a clergy to bring them communion at their homes beginning in July |
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First Friday Eucharistic Adoration
“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. Matthew 11:28-30
The time that we spend with Jesus in front of the Blessed Sacrament is the best time we will spend on earth. Please join us on the first Friday of every month from 7:00 to 8:00 PM.
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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.
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St. Jude Religious Gift Shop
St. Jude Religious Gift Shop is located downstairs in the Msgr. Sabia Social Hall. Many new items for all occasions. Baptism, Communion, Confirmation, Rosaries, Bibles, Statues, Medals & more. Variety of cards: Graduation, Birthday, Weddings, Get Well, Sympathy, etc. Come down & browse and find the perfect gift. For more info call: Parish Office - 203-261-6404 or call Fran Cambra - 203-261-2573.
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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.
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The parish office is taking Mass intentions for 2022. Requests will be taken by phone (203-261-6404) or email parish.ofice@stjuderc.com. Our weekend Mass times are Saturday 4:00 pm (October 1 - April 30) or 5:00 pm (May 1 - September 30). Sunday: 7:30 - 9:30 - 11:30.
Weekday Masses are 9:00 am.
Information needed at the time of intention request: Your name, phone number, and email address (if available). and Name(s) for intention., The stipend is $15.00 and payable by check or cash.
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Please Note
September 1 – September 8, the Parish Office hours will be 9:00am – 1:00pm, Monday – Thursday. The office will be closed for Labor Day, September 6.
Regular hours, Monday – Thursday, 9:00am – 3:00pm will resume on September 9.
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Parish Office Hours
THE OFFICE HOURS ARE:
MONDAY - THURSDAY 9:00 – 3:00
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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