Reflection from Fr. Joseph

Our church sees a lot of symbolism in numbers. Forty is the number of testing and purification…seven is the number of the Covenant…Twelve is the number of the People of God (Tribes of Israel and Apostles). And nine has also had the significance of an extended time of prayer, called a novena.

A novena is nine days of prayer for a certain intention. It is an ancient tradition that dates back, not to Jewish, but to pagan Roman custom. In the words of Fr. Saunders from EWTN:

 Long before Christianity, the ancient Romans also celebrated nine days of prayers for various reasons. The author Livy recorded how nine days of prayer were celebrated at Mount Alban to avert some evil or wrath of the gods as predicted by soothsayers. Similarly, nine days of prayer were offered when some "wonder" had been predicted. Families also held a nine-day mourning period upon the death of a loved one with a special feast after the burial on the ninth day. The Romans also celebrated the parentalia novendialia, a yearly novena (February 13-22) remembering all departed family members. Since novenas were already part of Roman culture, it is possible that Christianity "baptized" this pagan practice.

Whatever the exact origins may be, the early Christians did have a nine-day mourning period upon the death of a loved one. Eventually, a novena of Masses for the repose of the soul was offered. To this day, there is the novendiala or Pope's Novena, observed upon the death of the Holy Father.

In the Middle Ages, particularly in Spain and France, novenas of prayers were offered nine days before Christmas, signifying the nine months our Lord spent in the womb of our Blessed Mother. These special novenas helped the faithful prepare for the festive, yet solemn, celebration of the birth of our Lord. Eventually, various novenas were composed to help the faithful prepare for a special feast or to invoke the aid of a saint for a particular reason. Some of the popular novenas still widely used in our Church include those of Miraculous Medal, Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph and St. Jude, to name a few.

Nine days of prayer also calls to mind the nine days of prayer between the Ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, where the Apostles “devoted themselves to constant prayer” (Acts 1:14).

I bring this up because our St. Jude’s Novena begins tonight! This is a beautiful and traditional custom at our parish to prepare ourselves for the Feast of St. Jude (Oct. 28) by nine days of special Masses with guest preachers. Leading off tonight (Oct. 20) is Fr. Skip, who served as Parochial Vicar here at St. Jude’s for several decades before he was transferred in 2013.

I encourage everyone to come to as many of the Novena Masses as possible – they will be at 7pm from Oct. 23-27, culminating with a big Mass on St. Jude’s Feast (Oct. 28) at 9am. Please join us, bring your prayer intentions, and we will bring them before the Lord through the intercession of our patron, Saint Jude!

"A Concert of Praise, Meditation, and Thanksgiving"

50th Anniversary Pipe Organ Concert & Recital

Sunday, November 12th - 4:00 P.M.

Here is yet another exciting St. Jude 50th Anniversary event! In August, our beautiful French Cassavant Freres pipe organ underwent a considerable retrofit. Over 2,000 man hours went into electronic upgrades and expert craftsmanship work on the console of the instrument, that is, where the organist sits to control the sound output. All work was done by renowned organ builder Sean O'Donnell and Associates. Now, in its restored glory, our Diocesan and Cathedral Director of Music, Dr. William Atwood, will join us for an afternoon of all styles of organ repertoire to show the many tones and colors this instrument has. Works by Bach, Biery, Buxtehude, Phillips, Karg-Elert, Widor and others will be featured. All are invited to the recital and "Coffee &" reception in the church hall. I look forward to welcoming Dr. Atwood to St. Jude and hope you will join me for this Sunday afternoon. If you would like to bring a goody to the reception, please reach out to the parish office. I hope to see you there. This is not to be missed. A free-will offering taken at the door.  -Lou Vollono, Jr., Director of Music & Organist

We have had an amazing first nine months of our 50^thAnniversary Year!

Many more events and celebrations to come!

SAVE THE DATES

October 28:  Closing of St Jude Novena

                      9:00am Mass and celebration of St Jude Parishioners

                             Coffee social

October 28: Dinner Dance to celebrate 50^th Anniversary of our Parish

November 18: 9:00am Mass of Thanksgiving – Pastors, Priests and Deacons

                          who have served in our parish

                           Social to follow

December 3: Rededication of our Church by Bishop Frank Caggiano

                        Blessing of new relics for our altar

                        Social to follow

Please join us for any and all these events

MEMORABILIA

As our 50th Anniversary year is drawing to a close, we have some interesting memorabilia available for you to enjoy!

Each week we will have one or two posters in the Lobby highlighting events or celebrations which occurred over the years.



All of these posters will also be available on December 3rd at our Rededication Mass and Reception.

It is our hope that they bring back fond memories of the history of our wonderful Parish.

A huge thank you to Saint Jude parishioners and guests for their very generous support to our amazing Columbiettes who worked tirelessly to make the Fall Basket Bonanza a huge success and of course many thanks to Father Joseph for his encouragement and appreciation of our efforts. We'd also like to thank the Knights of Columbus who were a huge help with set up!

Parish News

Does anyone have extra small craft paint brushes? We could use some extra for an upcoming youth craft next week. Small ones that would be similar to something used for painting an art project would be great! You can leave in the church entrance labeled "ART SUPPLIES" Thank you!

Saturday, November 25: Parish Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury followed by a visit to the Abbey of Regina Laudis. Schedule of timing will be posted next week. E-mail Jessica if you're interested in joining us!

Thursday November 30: Rosary Making Event with artist Adrienne Keogler. Back by popular demand! OPEN TO ALL. 6:30 pm in the Saint Jude Social Hall. Come on out and make some Rosaries for Christmas! RSVP by E-mailing Jessica

Youth Encounters

All of our young people grades 6-12 are invited to join us for our Youth Encounters! These nights of games, food, fun, prayer, fellowship, and honest conversation about our Catholic Faith have been awesome...come and join us for a new year! This year for the first time, we'll be having separate tracks for high school and middle school. 7-9pm at St. Jude Social Hall. Coming next Friday 10/27 - our Fall Festival - you won't want to miss this one!

Mom's Group Announcements

Our next monthly mother's Zoom rosary is Wednesday 11/1 at 9 pm and will continue on the first Wednesday of every month e-mail Jessica Iannotta for more information.

Next meeting is Thursday, 10/26 at 7 pm (NOTE EARLIER TIME)- we will attend the novena Mass together and then meet downstairs in the Social Hall

Bring home Saint Jude's traveling statue of

the Holy Family.

Materials will be included to do a 7-day preparation for Consecration to the Holy Family. To learn more, visit: https://afc.org/family-consecration/ May God bless you and your family through the intercession of the Holy Family!

Click here to sign up

Dash Through the Creed & Sacraments

Every week we profess the Creed, but do we really know what it means? Every week we receive a Sacrament, but why do we do what we do? All parishioners of all ages are welcome to join Fr. Joseph for the third installment of the "Dash" series - this time dashing through the Creed and the Sacraments! Learn all about those fundamental truths that we believe about the Trinity, Jesus Christ, the Church, Mary, and the Afterlife...and dive into the Seven Sacraments which apply those truths to our lives! Every Monday from September 18 until Easter, all adults and teens are invited to join Fr. Joseph in the Social Hall from 7-8:15pm to learn more about our Catholic Faith!

Need more peace? Searching for love and meaning? Broken and in need of healing? All are welcome to join us for a powerful encounter with our Eucharistic Lord. Every Monday from 9:30am-9pm, the Lord will be exposed in the monstrance for Eucharistic Adoration. Stop by for five minutes, or stay for an hour - in Him will you find the peace you need! No need to sign-up, just show up. He has been awaiting you!

Domingo Arribas Memorial Needs Drive

The Knights of Columbus is sponsoring our bi-annual Domingo Arribas Memorial Needs Drive this Saturday, October 21 2023 from 8AM to 10:30AM. Items to donate include food, clothing, & diapers/wipes which can be brought to the front of Monsignor Sabia Social Hall & then distributed to the St Jude Food Pantry, Bridgeport Rescue Mission, Blessed Sacrament Parish, and Hopeline.

Please refer to the attached flyer for a more specific listing of items we are collecting for the drive. To aid us in distributing these items to the above organizations, we ask if you would please label the boxes & bags you donate. Please note that WE ARE NOT COLLECTING FURNITURE ITEMS.

Any questions, please contact Rocky Scali at 203-767-6053 or Frank Flynn at 203-556-5016.

From the Knights of Columbus, Council 5987.

This report serves for the recent blood drive held in the St. Jude's Social Hall sponsored by the Knights of Columbus on Saturday, September 23. Also, we provide a synopsis as to how well we did since we have started sponsoring the drives.

Red Cross sees our recent efforts as a big success. They scheduled 66 slots and we had 51 donors. One was a deferral so we successfully collected 50 pints. Their goal was 38 so they were smiling when they left. Staff and volunteers were served meatball grinders which were pretty tasty. Besides Red Cross snacks, we provide bagels as well and they seem to have taken off with the donors. A lot of good PR for our drives and the location.

Since the beginning of 2022, when we started providing a space to the Red Cross for collecting blood, we have had 6 drives. There would have been 7 but the first one last year was canceled due to heavy snow. Over the 6 drives, Red Cross reports we have collected 303 pints from the 326 donors that have signed in at the door. They say the average is 51 pints per drive.

So, the Council and St. Jude's has been building up an army of regular donors who prefer our location and the extras we provide. Hopefully, we'll be the premier donor location in Monroe.

Thank you to all who have been supportive of this community effort. Our next drive is Saturday, January 27. If you are a long-time donor or newly considering becoming a donor, go to www.redcross.org and search to find our drive and sign up.

Thank you, Father Gill for being supportive of this effort. And, to Bernice in the Parish Office for the help in scheduling these drives.

Knights of Columbus

Family Rosary

Sunday October 29th

Following 11:30AM Mass

Open to all Parishioners

Adults and Children

Please Join Us

                               Pope Francis October 2023 prayer intention



For the Synod



We pray for the Church, that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a lifestyle at every level, and allow herself to be guided by the Holy Spirit towards the peripheries of the world.

Sponsored by the K of C to Help Promote the Praying of the Rosary on a Regular Basis.

Silver Rose Prayer Service

Hosted By

St. John XXIII Council 5987

Knights of Columbus

  Tuesday November 14^th at 6:30 PM in the church

Prayer service to share the message of our Lady of

Guadalupe and promote respect for life.

Prayer service consists of prayers, scripture readings and litany.  

Food Pantry Update

Items of most pressing need at this time are canned soup, oatmeal, pancake syrup and jarred pasta sauce. Of course, boxed children’s cereal is always appreciated. Thank you all for your continued support!

Hopeline Pregnancy Center Diaper Needs

Hopeline Pregnancy Center has a need for disposable diapers. They are currently low on sizes newborn, 3,4,5,6 and wipes, as well as bottles and pacifiers. Should you wish to help you can leave the diapers 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. As always, your continued support is greatly appreciated.

Please remember in your daily prayers:

Marge Tranzillo, David Nicolett, Maria Bertone, Vincent Daniello, Joe Pinto, Zoey Frigo, Daniel Louis Bianco, Max, Hung Vu, Alfred Zawadski, Dr. John Kezel, Francisca Testa & family, Catherine Belanger, Stephen Henn, Manny Cambra, Bennett Gulyas, Tom Pleva, James Buturla, John Sansone, Paul Verespej, Patti F. , Anne DeVita, Anna Harper, Jack Lane, Robert Freeman, Frank Kerekes, Marian Nanchy, Rosario Pacheco, Antonia Tedeschi, Charles Metoyer, Liz Guaglianone, Mary McDonald, Douglas Stanley, Jenn Katz, Judy Thomas, Barbara Tranchese, Ed Brady, Mary Lopresti, Lou DiMartino, Lor C., Viola Cleo Bradshaw, Susan W. and Janet C, Larry Pisani, Vincent Pisani, Greg, Kaiti and Cameron Kessler, Michael Merola & Family, Martha Mencseli, Mildred Blasko, Father Krzysztof, and Baby Henry Taylor

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 October is:

On this Respect Life Sunday and for the

Month of October, we pray God might grant

us the wisdom and courage to protect His gift of all human life...

        We pray to the Lord

Upcoming Mass Intentions

Mass Intentions for  October 21 – October 29

Sat    Oct 21       4:30pm                Stephanie Stanley

Sun   Oct 22        7:30am                 St Jude Parishioners

Sun   Oct 22        9:30am                 Maria Emilia Monteiro

Sun   Oct 22        11:30am               Deceased members of the Bonitatibus and

                                                         Tranzillo Families

Mon  Oct 23        7:00pm                John Kiernan        

Tue  Oct 24        7:00pm                 Maria DeLeo                 

Wed  Oct 25        7:00pm                Rick Buckley

Thu   Oct 26        7:00pm                Roy Poltersdorf, Jr.

Fri    Oct 27        7:00pm                 Vito Melfi

Sat    Oct 28       4:30pm                 Vincenzina and Pasquale Pontoriero

Sun   Oct 29        7:30am                 Andrew Henn

Sun   Oct 29        9:30am                 St Jude Parishioners

Sun   Oct 29        11:30am               Peter Bendlak and Lorraine Miller

Tabernacle Candle: In memory of Isabel Dantas-Teixeira during the month of

                              October

Weekday Masses (Monday thru Thursday) 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.

(Live-streamed Masses may be viewed at https://www.stjuderc.org/view-masses ) Please note that the link is slightly changed from the previous link due to the change in the website.

Men’s Bible Study

The Men’s Bible Study will begin meeting September 23, on Saturday mornings at 8:00 AM, in the school building. Each week we will take up the readings for that weekend. All men of the parish are welcome. For more information, contact Bob Lux at [email protected].

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.

Mary's Messengers Prayer Group . Since RE is finished for the year, a new time will be announced soon.

We learn to say the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and other special prayers for the intentions of our families and Parish.

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

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.