Reflection from Fr. Joseph

After a hiatus last week, let's continue our three-part series about marriage in the Church, and tackle the thorny issue of what do we do when a loved one gets married outside the Church? Do we attend?

This is particularly difficult, as it touches on familial relationships and lots of strong emotions. In my own family, my brother married outside the church, so I know the agony of trying to decide whether to attend or not. But putting aside the family ties and sentiment and emotion, let’s look at it objectively through the lens of Catholic theology.

As we saw last time, a Catholic who marries outside the Church without permission enters into an invalid marriage – in other words, no marriage actually occurs. This leads to a situation where the couple are living together without a Sacrament, which is objectively a sinful state (in times past, it used to be called “living in sin”).



In moral theology, we talk not only about a person committing a sin, but also other ways that we can cooperate in sin. We can approve of the sin, we can praise the sin, we can remain silent when we see another sin, we can provide material support for the sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “we have a responsibility for another’s sin when we cooperate with it” even if we don’t like it or don’t participate in it directly.

So, objectively, to congratulate someone who got married outside the Church or to give a gift would be to be participating in the sin of the couple: that is, of simulating a marriage and entering into an objective state of fornication.

But, the objection goes, what about the importance of keeping a good relationship with our son/daughter/grandchild? Perhaps if we refuse to go to their wedding in the Waterview, they will grow angry and never speak with us again, and then we lose any chance of them returning to Church and we will never see our grandkids, etc.

This is a valid objection, so here is a solution: one could attend the ceremony and the reception (especially if there’s good food!), but one must have an open, honest, loving conversation with the person beforehand about why they will not be giving a gift or saying congratulations. We explain to them that we are attending because we love them and we want to keep a good relationship with them, but that we disagree with the choice of their wedding venue and wished that it would be a Sacrament in the Church. This conversation might be difficult (and feel free to send a letter instead of face-to-face!), but necessary if we are to be present at the ceremony or reception. We then must do our best to avoid scandal – which means that when we speak with others at the reception, we say things like, “Yes, they do make a beautiful couple, and we are praying that they sanctify their love by having it blessed in the Church” (a process known asconvalidation, which makes a Sacrament out of a civil marriage).

Could this completely backfire and lead to a broken relationship? It is indeed a risk – they may not take your stance or your words with charity. But one of Jesus’ tough teachings is: “If anyone loves father, mother, brother, sister more than Me, they are not worthy of Me.” Jesus asks us to choose Him over any family relationship. Sometimes this means taking a stand, and not participating when a family member asks us to congratulate them for doing something wrong.

Tough? Most definitely, and I feel for the anguish that parents and relatives have in their heart when this sad situation takes place. But part of the reason why so many couples are “living in sin” is that no one ever challenged them, in love, to have their relationship sanctified with the Sacrament of Marriage. You might lose a relationship…or your conversation might just be the impetus for them to return to Christ. Is their soul worth it? Christ thought so – He was willing to be rejected to purchase our salvation. Are we willing to be rejected and misunderstood by family members, so that we might pray and fast and love these couples back into the heart of the Church?

St. Francis Pet Blessing!

Our annual tradition continues, celebrating the Feast of St. Francis - the Pet Blessing! Bring your animals - furry, feathery, and scaly - to the plaza in front of St. Jude's Church on Sunday, October 5^th at 2pm for our annual pet blessing, asking God to continue to bless our four-footed friends!

Confession Weekend

Our next Confession Weekend takes place on October 11-12 - Confessions available before and after all Masses!

Adoration Update - Help Needed!

Our Monday Eucharistic Adoration has launched - many people are joining our Eucharistic Lord for a short visit or for an hour! However, one of the regularly-committed Adorers is unable to continue due to health, so we are looking for someone who can commit to being a "Committed Adorer" every Monday from 1-2pm. Could you help? Truly, to do so would be a benefit to your own spiritual life! If you are able to help, please contact Fr. Joseph at frgill@diobpt.org.

First Friday Adoration Cancelled

On October 3rd, our First Friday Adoration will be cancelled because many of our clergy will be attending the special Mass and Blessing of St. Carlo Acutis Shrine at the Cathedral in Bridgeport at 7:30pm. We would encourage all parishioners to also attend this very special Mass - it is open to all!

Spiritual Warfare Night for Men and Boys

All men and sons are invited to join Fr. Ferry Galbert and Fr. Joseph Gill for a powerful night of fellowship and prayer, talking about a timely topic: Spiritual Warfare! As we approach Halloween, there are so many misunderstandings about the devil and the spiritual world. What does our Church actually teach us - and how can we prepare ourselves spiritually for the battle that we're in? All men and boys are invited to learn how they are called to engage in the spiritual battle against our Enemy, and how to defeat him with the weapons of our Catholic Faith. The night will include dinner, a talk, and a time of prayer. It will take place at the St. Jude's Social Hall on Thursday, October 30 from 6-8:30pm. No cost, but please RSVP at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4DAAAD2AA4FACE9-58772089-spiritual . We're in the midst of a war - but with Jesus Christ, victory is guaranteed!

Please join our Pro-life Ministry on Sunday, October 5th from 1-3:00 p.m. at Commerce Park in Bridgeport as we pray at the 40-Days-For-Life Prayer Vigil for an end to abortion.

The St Jude-St Stephen Seniors Meeting

The St Jude-St Stephen Seniors will resume their Joyful Journey on the 2nd Thursday of each month.

The October meeting will be on Thursday, October 9th at 1:00 PM in the St Jude Social Hall.

Vic Eng will be the guest speaker at the meeting. He will be sharing highlights, photos and insights from his African Safari trip this past July.

All are welcome. No need to register.

A group of 5 parishioners have been part of a rosary group and praying a "living rosary" each day for well over a year. Since October is the month of the rosary, we wanted to suggest the app for other parishioners who may want to pray the rosary together as well. Here is how to get started!

• Download the Rosario app on your device (see logo above for easy recognition)
• Create a prayer group with 4 people
• Every day, each person receives a mystery of the rosary and takes 5 minutes in their day to meditate on it by reciting a decade. 
• At the end of the day, the group will have meditated on the 5 mysteries of the day, thus completing an entire rosary. That’s the living rosary!

If you need help setting it up or finding a group of people to create a living rosary with email familyministry@stjuderc.org

Family News and Events

October Issue of Rooted Magazine

Here is the link for October's Rooted Magazine! 

It is full of great ways to celebrate the Month of the Rosary!

Saint Jude Moms Group Announcements

Fall Meeting Dates:

Thursdays 10/23 - 7:45 pm (after Novena Mass), 11/13 - 7:30 pm, and 12/18 - 7:30 pm



Save the Date - Friday 12/12 Rosary Making with Adrienne Keogler

Email stjudemomsgroup@gmail.com for more information

Parent Bible Study - THIS SUNDAY

10/5 during 10:30 AM Religious Education

Parents are welcome to join our Parent Bible study, Thrive: an 8 Week Study to Grow with Christ in Your Life. You can preview the study here

All are welcome to join anytime! Even if your child is not in religion on Sundays or you can't make it each week, you will get something out of coming (and you can also easily follow along at home in between). The group that met last year during religion on Sundays really enjoyed the Bible study format from He is Goodness. There is no homework or preparation required and no Bible experience is necessary. Email familyministry@stjuderc.org to join us!

Kids Club THIS SUNDAY 3-5 pm

Knights of Columbus News

Tootsie Roll Drive

More than two dozen Knights of Columbus volunteers were out in the community recently for the first half of their campaign to raise funds to help adults, teens, and children with intellectual disabilities. The campaign, known as the Tootsie Roll Drive, is an important fundraising event and a community outreach opportunity for our parish.

Knights of Columbus volunteers will again be collecting donations during the weekend of October 4^th and 5^th. You can find them in front of Stop & Shop, Capital Spirits and Dunkin Donuts in Monroe and Stop & Shop in Newtown. 100% of the donations collected will go toward Knights of Columbus programs, including the Southbury Training School, a local home for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Volunteers are still needed to make this year’s campaign a success. The Knights of Columbus should check their email for the link to sign up.

Domingo Arribas Memorial Needs/Food Drive

The Knights of Columbus are once again sponsoring a Needs/Food, clothing, & diapers drive on Saturday October 25, 2025 from 8AM to 10:30AM. NO FURNITURE items are being collected. Please bring your donated items to the Monsignor Sabia Social Hall behind the Church. These items will be distributed to Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Blessed Sacrament parish, & Hopeline. Since we no longer have a food pantry at St Jude's, all food collected for the drive will go to the Blessed Sacrament parish community which has a critical need for food.

To simplify our distribution process during the day of the drive, it would be much appreciated if you labelled your donated items in boxes & bags for Blessed Sacrament/Father Skip, Hopeline & Bridgeport Rescue. Please review the attached flyer for specific items needed for each.  Any questions, please contact Rocky Scali, 203-767-6053 or Frank Flynn, 203-556-5016. THANK YOU

Men’s Bible Study will resume on Saturday September 27th. All men are invited to join for a discussion-based Bible Study on Saturday mornings at 8am in the Monsignor Sabia Social Hall, as we study the week’s Sunday readings.

For more information, contact Bob Lux at mjrob08@gmail.com.

Blood Donation Drive Save the Date

Our next drive is Saturday, September 20 here at St. Judes. To donate, please visit www.redcrossblood.org and search for our drive.

GIFTOBERFEST! 

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

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, 2025. 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 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.

For additional information, please call (203) 258-3354 or e-mail eaedgerton24@gmail.com.

Food Pantry update

Our gratitude for your continued generosity. At this time the items in greatest need are: Mac and Cheese, canned tuna, and canned soup. 

On Wednesday of last week your Knights of Columbus Council #5987 delivered a check to Hopeline Pregnancy Center in the amount of $5,235 from the recent Baby Bottle Drive. Thank you for your generous and continued support.

Hopeline Pregnancy Center has a continued need for disposable diapers, etc. They are currently low on sizes 3, 4 & 5, 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 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. 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.

On Wednesday of last week your Knights of Columbus Council #5987 delivered a check to Hopeline Pregnancy Center in the amount of $5,235 from the recent Baby Bottle Drive. Thank you for your generous and continued support.

Please remember in your daily prayers:

David Nicolett, Vincent Daniello, Joe Pinto, Zoey Frigo, 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, Jack Lane, Frank Kerekes, Antonia Tedeschi, Mary McDonald, Douglas Stanley, Jenn Katz, Susan W, Barbara Tranchese, 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, Chloe Capra, Lucy Hanson, Debbie Dragonetti, Jesse Hurst & Family, Maryann Lapinski, Joseph Laveneziana, Andrea Paddock, Nadine Alusik, Margarida Andrade, John, Jimmy Forno, Matthew Van der Wielen, George N., Milenka Gospic, Benjamin Gray, Chris McCarthy, Leo B.

Please join us in praying our Monthly Parish Intention..

MONTHLY PARISH PETITION

Please join us as we pray our Monthly Parish Intention.

Our Petition for October is: Respect for Life Month. 

For those who work for and defend the lives of the unborn, the infirm and aged, and all who labor for an end to the culture of death...

       We pray to the Lord

Mass Intentions for October 4 – October 12

Sat      Oct 4               9:00am           Margaret Mende

Sat      Oct 4              4:30pm           Rick D’Amore

Sun     Oct 5               7:30am          St Jude Parishioners

Sun     Oct 5               9:30am           Gertrude M. Mason

Sun     Oct 5              11:30am         Bobby Smarz

                                    Gladys Jass

                             Rose Marie “Pat” Roman

Mon    Oct 6              9:00am           Maria Emilia Monteiro and Artur

Fernandes Monteiro

Tue     Oct 7             9:00am        Harry Burns   

Wed   Oct 8             9:00am         Elvira Ferreira

Thu     Oct 9             9:00am         Lola Stephanic

Fri       Oct 10           9:00am         Jarprudur Williams

Sat       Oct 11          4:30pm          Stephen Henn

Sat      Oct 12            7:30am         Carlo Longo

Sun     Oct 12            9:30am           St Jude Parishioners

Sun     Oct 12            11:30am         Deceased members of the Corrigan

Family

                                     Margaret (Peggy) Forno

                              Mary Sue Fucci

Tabernacle Candle : In memory of James Tierney, Sr

Adoration Candles: In memory of Luis and Elvira Ferreira and Jennifer Cannon

Hosts and Wine: In memory of Denise Borrs

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

"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



Confessions on Saturday afternoon will be in the day chapel at 3:30 to 4:15 pm on Saturdays. Come take advantage of God's great mercy by coming to the Sacrament of Confession.



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