Welcome to the June

St. Jude's Family Newsletter!

Welcome to the June issue of the St. Jude's Family Newsletter! June is an exciting month at St. Jude's with many great upcoming parish and family activities and events including our Parish Picnic! Don't forget to RSVP below no later than June 2.  

June is also the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Take the time this month to learn a little more about this beautiful devotion!

Stay tuned for a special summer resources edition coming next month!

Important Upcoming Dates:

Friday, June 3: First Friday Adoration

7:00 pm

Saturday, June 4: First Saturday Rosary and Mass

8:00 am Rosary/Confession 8:30 am Mass

Children can learn about the First Saturday Devotion on EWTN (episode 20)

Sunday, June 5: Vocation Recognition Reception & Seminarian Welcome

Reception after 9:30 am Mass

Sunday, June 5: Children's Rosary

after 11:30 am Mass by the Blessed Mother Statue

Sunday, June 5: Youth Group - Rockin' Jump Event

4:00 pm RSVP required

Wednesday, June 8: Mom's Group Zoom Rosary

9 pm (e-mail Jessica Iannotta for link)

Saturday, June 12: Parish Picnic with St Stephen's

1-6 pm Holy Ghost Park, Shelton

RSVP NO LATER THAN 6/2: 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D48AFA828ABF58-picnic

Thursday, June 14: Knights of Columbus Patriotic Rosary

7:00 pm

Sunday, June 19: Corpus Christi Procession 

After 11:30 am Mass

Children can learn about Corpus Christi on EWTN (episode 19)

Wednesday, June 22: Family Hike & Pizza for Families with Children & Teens

5:00 pm Great Hollow Lake at Wofle Park, Pizza following at St Jude's

RSVP here

Sunday, June 26: Installation of Fr. Joseph as Pastor

9:30 am Mass, Reception to follow

Wednesday, June 29: Mom's Group

7:00 pm Social Hall 

July 11-15 8:30 am -12:30 pm: Vacation Bible School

Visit https://www.stjuderc.org/vacation-bible-school.html to register your child entering Grades K-5.  Please register ASAP so that we an get an accurate head count and order supplies.

Youth Group Summer Sports & Scripture: July 11,18, 25 & August 8, 15, 22

Mondays 6:30-8:00 pm

Tuesday July 26: Family Bingo Night

6:30 pm Social Hall

Friday August 12: Family Movie Night

7:00 pm Social Hall 

Young families with children and teens are invited to meet at Great Hollow Lake at 5 pm on Wednesday 6/22 for hiking with Father Joseph. After hiking we will meet at St. Jude for pizza!

RSVP below

Formed Family Challenge!

Are you up for a challenge? We challenge you to replace device and TV time with engaging, Faith-inspired content on Formed.org! Record your Formed use for each family member and e-mail to Jessica Iannotta by 9/6 to be part of a special recognition event!  Family Formed suggestions will be coming out in a special summer resources newsletter!

Catholic Family Summer Bucket List Challenge!

We encourage you to create your own Catholic family summer bucket list to keep you and your family engaged in our faith this summer. Here are some ideas to create your own family bucket list! Families who e-mail Jessica Iannotta with a completed bucket list of 5 items or more will win a prize at the end of the summer!

• Read the Bible together as a family
• Say the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet as a family
• Attend Adoration together as a family
• Learn about and begin the First Friday or First Saturday Devotion as a family
• Visit a local Shrine
• Participate in the Formed Family Challenge
• Pray for deceased family members 
• Volunteer your time and perform an act of service as a family 
• Attend or help out with Vacation Bible School
• Attend Mass at a new Church that you've never been to
• Invite a new family to attend Church with you
• Watch a faith-inspired movie as a family (Check out Formed.org)
• Read a Catholic book 
• Consecrate your family to the Holy Family

St Jude Kindness Club

Would you like to be part of our new St Jude's Kindness Club? Each week there will be a kindness challenge sent out via e-mail and text and we will keep track by creating a kindness chain in the social hall!  It will be exciting to watch it grow with each act of kindness that we complete!

If you are interested sign up here

June is Dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Jesus made 12 promises to Saint Margaret Mary that He would bless those who venerate His Most Sacred Heart. One that is especially important to families is:

"I will give peace in their families"

We all need peace in our families. The Devotion to the Sacred Heart is a beautiful devotion that can help families stay close to Jesus. 

Check out this family friendly explanation of the Sacred Heart devotion here.

View Consecration Prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus here or see the family ministry table for copies.

drawing credit: Alina Kaufman, founding Children's Rosary member in West Hartford, CT

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus

for the Brown Scapulas and Rosaries!

Thank you to the Knights of Columbus for donating the funds to purchase Brown Scapulas for each of our confirmands this week and for providing a beautiful Rosary for each confirmand as well.  We appreciate your generosity!

God Bless all of the young people who received Confirmation yesterday!

Volunteer Opportunities for Adults and Teens

• Help with the Parish Picnic - June 12
• Volunteer for Vacation Bible School (biggest need is older teen and young adult volunteers) - July 11-15

E-mail Jessica Iannotta for more information

June Saints of the Month

Feast of St. John the Baptist - June 24

Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul - June 29

Children are welcome to take prayer bookmarks and handouts when available on the Family Ministry Resource table.  

• Watch The Saints Our Heavenly Friends on Formed.org
• Read The Young Person's Book of Saints on Formed.org

Mom's Group Announcements!

St. Jude's Mom's Group Kickoff Meeting Recap is available on the parish website. Contact Jessica Iannotta for more information and click here to register for the group contact list.

Next meeting Wednesday 6/29 at 7 pm in the social hall to kick off our summer book club on Living Joy by Chris Stefanick. To join our monthly mother's Zoom rosary, starting Wednesday 6/8,  e-mail Jessica Iannotta

Vacation Bible School Registration is now OPEN!

Visit https://www.stjuderc.org/vacation-bible-school.html to register your child entering Grade K-5. Space is limited so sign up early to reserve a spot for your child! PLEASE SIGN UP ASAP so that we can get an accurate count for materials. 

We need more ADULT and TEEN volunteers!

If you are an adult interested in volunteering, please fill out this form to let us know your availability and what you'd be interesting in helping out with. If you are a teen who would like to volunteer, please fill out this volunteer application. Contact Jessica Iannotta for more information.

We are looking to form St. Jude Parish Family Prayer Teams!

Do you have a family or two that you would like to form a team with? You can decide your prayer focus - will it be First Saturday Rosary or perhaps praying for vocations? Would you consider dedicating your family prayer mission to praying for the unborn? We have plenty of inspiration all around us so you can see what the Holy Spirit may be calling you to!

If you would like to get involved, e-mail Jessica Iannotta for more information!

drawing credit: Alina Kaufman, founding Children's Rosary member in West Hartford, CT