Reflection from Fr. Joseph

One of the more remarkable graces I’ve seen over the past few years is how many young people are coming to Christ. Over the past three years, we have baptized a number of teenagers at the Easter Vigil (all of whom asked for it themselves!) and we currently have four teens or older children scheduled for baptism at this upcoming year’s Easter Vigil!

These teens have often had diverse backgrounds and stories, but one common thread is that they were often brought to Christ through a friend’s example, witness, and encouragement. It’s awesome to see young people who love the Lord – and our parish – enough to invite a friend to check it out, or to be that listening ear when their friend is undergoing an existential crisis and wants to know if there is more to live for than this empty world.

As parents or grandparents, we can have a unique role to play in helping our kids/grandkids if they seek to evangelize their friends. Here are some things you can do if your son/daughter starts speaking about bringing a friend to Christ:

• Encourage your son/daughter to speak about Christ to them, and maybe even role-play the situation with them. Ask your son/daughter, “What would you say to a friend who is starting to stray down a bad path? Or to one who is curious about your faith? Or to one who seems open to wanting more in life than just the typical empty American dream?”

• Encourage your kids to invite them to Mass or Youth Encounter with them. And then – provide a ride! So many young people tell me they would get to Mass if they had a ride…so perhaps your kids can provide the invitation, and YOU can provide the ride!

• Reach out to your kids’ friend’s parents and share with them the Good News of Jesus Christ. I’ve had some enlightening conversations when calling up a parent and saying, “Little Johnny seems to be getting more interested in his faith. Is this something you support? What has been your faith journey? Is there a way I can be a bridge to help you become more connected to Jesus Christ?” The stories of why people “drifted away” or never found the time for Christ or have an objection to the Church are quite eye-opening and can lead to a deeper conversation that can be a step toward reconciliation and healing.

• Seek to witness to our kids’ friends by our own authentic Christian lives. I can think of a few men from back when I was a teen, men who were my friends’ fathers but who showed me a great deal of virtue and integrity. At some point, a young person will start to look outside of his immediate family to decide how best to live his or her life…and what a powerful moment when they realize, “I really admire Mr. and Mrs. Jones, their home is always so peaceful and filled with kindness and forgiveness and sacrificial charity.” Perhaps in contrast to their own chaotic home, your home may be a bastion of Christian love! Maybe even intentionally mentor them – bring up conversations about Christ, or just show interest in their lives.

All of us, by virtue of our Confirmation, have the task of spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ wherever we go. We should all be on the lookout at work, in our neighborhood, at our kids’ sports games, for our peers who show an openness to Christ or a yearning to live for love of our One Love (God). But we can also facilitate our kids’ and grandkids’ efforts to bring their peers to Christ – and what an amazing gift that would be to the Church, to increase the number of those who believe and follow the Lord Jesus!

ANNUAL BLESSING OF PETS

THIS SUNDAY

 In honor of the feast of St Francis, parishioners are invited to bring your family pets for a special blessing. All pets are welcome!

  

Sunday, October 4  

1:30pm

    Meet on the plaza near the St Jude Statue

Father Joseph and the Parish Finance Council have agreed to renew our St. Jude's parish subscription to Formed and we would like to help with a fundraising effort to help defray some of the cost to the parish.

Any donations would be greatly appreciated to help the parish support this wonderful program. Even a small offering by each participant would help defray the cost away from basic parish expenses. Please prayerfully consider a special donation for the 2026-27 Formed Subscription Renewal which benefits you and your family as well as other families of the parish.

Anyone interested in donating toward the cost of Formed can direct their donations as outlined below:

• Donations can be dropped off or mailed to the parish office. Please make any checks payable to St. Jude's Church with "evangelization efforts" in the subject line of the check.  
• You can also donate online to our parish online giving platform to the section titled Formed Subscription.

Family News and Events

Parent Bible Study Begins THIS SUNDAY!


We meet during religious education on Sunday mornings

from 10:30 am to 11:15 AM

We are doing the study Living Joy by Chris Stefanick. All are welcome!

Email familyministry@stjuderc.org if you are interested or for more information

MOMS GROUP

Upcoming moms group meetings:

First Wednesdays of the month after 9:00 AM Mass in the Saint Jude Social Hall

Next Meeting: THIS Wednesday 10/7

Moms group Friday evening event dates

Friday - 12/11 ADVENT WOMENS TEA more info coming soon! Email if you would like to help plan this event.

Columbiettes News

The Saint John XXIII Columbiettes of St. Jude Church in Monroe will be hosting their GIFTOBERFEST! fundraiser taking place throughout the month of October 2026.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will go to various causes that the Columbiettes sponsor - such as special needs camperships, Hopeline, Christmas baskets for the disadvantaged and other local charitable organizations. 

GIFTOBERFEST! Is a raffle that consists of a daily drawing from October 1-31, 2026. Each day a gift card in various denominations will be awarded to a lucky winner. Participants can win multiple times. Raffle tickets will be $10.00 each and are good for the entire month.

The raffle calendar and daily winners will be announced on the Saint John XXIII Columbiettes Auxiliary Facebook page

The Columbiettes will be selling tickets after Saturday and Sunday masses at St. Jude’s Church at 707 Monroe Turnpike throughout September or if you would like to purchase a ticket and cannot attend mass, please contact Elizabeth Edgerton at 203-258-3354 or Jan DeMayo at 203-520-9796 or you can email eaedgerton24@gmail.com.

Knights of Columbus News

The McGivney Pilgrimage Center will be hosting the Relics of St. Bernadette of Lourdes on Wednesday, October 14 as part of a nationwide pilgrimage being undertaken by the Sanctuary at Lourdes.October 14 is one five days the relics will be in Connecticut, with the other locations being St. Mary Church in New Haven and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury. More details about those dates are available in the online bulletins from each parish, or at the website https://bernadette-usa.lourdes-france.com/ip.php?pg=St-Bernadete-Relics-Tour-Map

Annual Domingo Arribas Memorial Needs/Food, Clothing, & Diaper Drive

The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring our annual Domingo Arribas Memorial Needs/Food, Clothing, & Diaper Drive on Saturday October 24, 2026 from 8AM to 10:30AM. Your donated items of food, clothing, and diapers/wipes can be brought to the Church parking lot in front of the Monsignor Sabia Social hall. These donations will be distributed to Blessed Sacrament parish, the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, and Hopeline.

To simplify our distribution process during the day of the drive, we would appreciate it if you labelled your donated items in boxes & bags for Blessed Sacrament/Father Skip, Bridgeport Rescue, & Hopeline. Please review the attached flyer for the specific items needed by each (click for a printable copy). Any questions, please contact Rocky Scali, 203-767-6053 or Frank Flynn, 203-556-5016. Thank you!!!

 Men’s Bible Study

Men’s Bible Study will resume on Saturday September 26^th. All men are invited to join for a discussion-based Bible Study on Saturday mornings at 8:00am in the Monsignor Sabia Social Hall, as we study the week’s Sunday readings. For more information, contact Bob Lux at mjrob08@gmail.com.

Hopeline Pregnancy Center has a continued need for disposable diapers, etc. They are currently low on sizes Newborn,4, 5, & 6, wipes and jars of baby food as well as gently used Baby clothes (boys and girls, up to 18 months), Baby blankets, crib sheets, Onesies, socks, strollers, bottles and pacifiers, strollers, baby toys and baby monitors. They have also requested baby formula such as “Similac 360 Total Care”. Should you wish to help you can leave the diapers, etc. in the outer vestibule of the church. Monetary donations, with checks made out to the Hopeline Pregnancy Center, as well as gift cards from Amazon, Target and grocery stores are most welcome. They may be mailed to: Hopeline Pregnancy Center, PO Box 110658, Trumbull, CT 06611.

Hopeline reports that donations from the parishioners at St Jude’s, thus far for 2026, total 4,095 diapers, 6,800 wipes, plus formula, blankets, clothes, etc. Thank you.

 As always, your continued support is greatly appreciated by Hopeline and our Knights of Columbus Council.

Please contact Bob Lux at mjrob08@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

Please remember in your daily prayers:

David Nicolett, Vincent Daniello, Joe Pinto, Daniel Louis Bianco, Max, Hung Vu , Darryl Patterson, Dr. John Kezel, Francisca Testa & Family, Catherine Belanger, Tom Pleva, James Buturla, Patti F, Anne DeVita, Anna Harper, Frank Kerekes, Antonia Tedeschi, Mary McDonald, Douglas Stanley, Jenn Katz, Susan W, Mary Lopresti, Lor C, Janet C, Larry Pisani, Becky M, Vincent Pisani, Greg, Kaiti and Cameron Kessler, Mildred Blasko, Michael Merola & Family, Father Krzysztof, Baby Henry Taylor, Garren Kiett, Viola Cleo Bradshaw, Alice Gumpert, Michael, Donna, Chrystal Archuletta, Lucy Hanson, Jesse Hurst & Family, Maryann Lapinski, Andrea Paddock, Nadine Alusik, Margarida Andrade, John, Jimmy Forno, Matthew Van der Wielen, George N., Milenka Gospic, Benjamin Gray, Chris McCarthy, Leo B., Edward Isales, MaryAnn Voytek, Sal Guerrera, Anne Gulia, Raymond Gosselin, Nancy Czupkowski, Virginia LaQuesse, Ed Marencik, Dan Mongillo, Lawrence Cofone, Mary Witkowsky, John Rizzitelli, Dan Hermansson, Allison H., Dawn S., Sonny T., Nancy St. Pierre, Baby Stevie P, Steve P, Sharon K

Please join us in praying our Monthly Parish Intention.

Our Petition for October is for: Increased Devotion to Our Blessed Mother

May we pray to honor our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of the Rosary, by praying the rosary more frequently...

We pray to the Lord

Mass Intentions for October 3 – October 11

Sun Oct 4 9:30am - Margaret Mende

Sun Oct 4 11:30am - St Jude Parishioners, Blessings for Lawrence Conde, Aida Maria Chavez

Mon Oct 5 9:00am - Gertrude M. Mason

Tue Oct 6 9:00am - Blessings for Lawrence Conde

Wed Oct 7 9:00am - Denis and Michael Gallagher

Thu Oct 8 9:00 am - Harry Burns

Fri Oct 9 9:00am-- Lola Stephanic

Sat Oct 10 9:00am - Barbara Tranchese

Sat Oct 10 4:30pm - Elvira Ferreira

Sun Oct 11 7:30am - Francis H. Keegan

Sun Oct 11 9:30am - Carlo Longo

Sun Oct 11 11:30am - St Jude Parishioners, Angelo Mancini, Stephen Krehley

Mass Schedule

Weekday Masses (Monday thru Friday) will be in the main Church at 9 am and live streamed.

The Weekend Masses inside the Church are Saturday at 4:30 pm and Sunday at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30. Only the Saturday Mass at 4:30 pm and the Sunday 7:30 am and 9:30 Masses are live streamed and may be viewed at https://www.stjuderc.org/view-masses

Saturday Rosary Sign up.

We have a wonderful way to prepare for Saturday Mass and that is to say the Rosary before Mass starts. We start 30 minutes before Mass so we start at 4:00 every Saturday.

Please join us as we pray. Also, please prayerfully consider joining this ministry.

If you would like to join you can sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4aa8ad2fa6fccf8-saturday#/

We look forward to you joining us as we pray the Rosary together.

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.

Flame of Love Rosary

Thursday mornings after 9 am Mass * on break for summer will resume in September *

"Spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity"

flameoflove.us



Divine Mercy Chaplet

Wednesdays at 3 pm in the Church

"Jesus we Trust in You"

thedivinemercy.org

St. Jude Religious Gift Shop

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: Communion Gifts and cards, statues, rosaries and more.

Come in and browse. Call Fran Cambra 203-261-2573 or Parish Office 203-261-6404.

Confession Hours

We are adding an additional Confession time starting February 1, through Easter (at least - if it is popular we will keep it). Monday nights from 8-9pm (the last hour of Adoration). 

Confessions will now be on Saturdays from 3:30-4:30pm and on Monday nights from 8-9pm. 

Confessions are also by appointment, please call 203-261-6404, to set up an appointment or email the office.  

Parish Office Hours

THE OFFICE HOURS ARE:

MONDAY - THURSDAY 9:00 – 3:00

Please call (203-261-6404) or e-mail (ParishOffice@stjuderc.org) 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.