Reflection from Fr. Joseph

Halloween is right around the corner, and every year people recommend that I watch this or that exorcist who tries to warn that Halloween is demonic. I’ve listened to all their arguments but I don’t think they are convincing. Halloween was once a pagan holiday (Samhain of Celtic origins) that became a Christian holiday (All Hallow’s Eve, the evening of All Saints Day) that then got co-opted again by the pagans (those who practice wicca, witchcraft, or Satanism do celebrate Halloween as their high un-holy day).

It is true that Halloween is the day on which there are the most Satanic covens, human sacrifice (yes, it still occurs, even in this country, usually connected to an abortion ritual), and abuse of the Most Blessed Sacrament. But just because pagans do awful things on Halloween does not mean that good Christians cannot celebrate a day of dressing up, pumpkins, and trick-or-treating. After all, I’m sure plenty of people get drunk on Christmas (and there’s plenty of materialism and greed there) but that doesn’t mean Christians shouldn’t celebrate it. Just stay clear of the macabre and grotesque, and don’t dabble in any occult practices at parties (going to the palm reader or playing the Ouija board is not just “fun-and-games” – it truly is a doorway into the demonic).

As safe as Halloween can be, it is important to know that there really are demonic forces at work that day in particular, and also throughout the year. Recently a friend reached out to me because his son was dating a girl he met online – and the girl, and her mother, were both apparently engaging in witchcraft. He was concerned that some of the spells or demonic activity might rub off on him and his family. That is a real concern, but only if they are left spiritually unprepared.

There are malevolent forces out there. People can and do curse items, and the owners are unaware (I once worked with a man who had a cursed crucifix in his room which he had bought from a gypsy – he felt intense pain when he was at home with the crucifix, so we took items out of his home one-by-one until the pain disappeared after the crucifix was removed). People can offer a malediction (the opposite of a blessing – calling down evil upon a person, such as when a parent is disappointed with a child and says, “May you have a lousy marriage since you are marrying someone I dislike!”). You may even encounter people who are possessed or involved in the dark arts (it’s more common than you think).

So, how do we make sure we and our family are spiritually prepared?

Sacraments. Fr. Gabriel Amorth said that the two most powerful weapons we have against Satan are the Eucharist and Confession. If these are the cornerstones of your life, then Satan will be afraid of you!



Blessings and Sacramentals. Use Holy Water, keep blessed statues and pictures around your home. And did you know that parents can (and should!) bless their children? Every night, a parent should bless them before bed, and even before leaving the house!

Deliverance Prayers. Check out www.catholicexorcism.org for some very powerful prayers that can be of use to protect yourself and your family.

Be aware and avoid anything that has the whiff of Satan. For example, did you hear about the new Disney+ show called “Coven Academy” which is literally about a teenage school for learning demonic witchcraft (a much darker version of Harry Potter). These are the kinds of things that a holy Christian ought to avoid. St. Paul tells us, “Whatever is good, holy, and pure, think of these things!”

I don’t want to overplay Satan’s influence – some theologians such as Fr. Chad Ripperger find demons behind every rock. But we do need to be aware that he is active in the world in a much more insidious way than we think. At the same time, we do not need to fear Satan or his minions – both those visible and those invisible. After all, as St. Padre Pio says, “The devil is a rabid dog on a chain. As long as you stay far away, he cannot bite you.” Right now at this very moment, Satan is trying as hard as possible to destroy your soul and your family. But the Lord restrains the Evil One’s power and only allows him to go so far as to be spiritually beneficial to us – when we overcome temptation, or fortify our souls through prayer and the sacraments, we become holy!

Donate Leftover Halloween Candy!



As we always do, we invite our parishioners to donate their leftover Halloween candy to St. Jude's for use of our youth programs! There will be a bin in the back of church for a couple weeks in which you can donate your leftover Halloween candy, which will be used for the many youth and family events we host at the parish. Thank you in advance!

Book of the Dead



November is the month in which we pray for the repose of all of our beloved loved ones who have passed away. You will notice in the church, near the sanctuary, a new item: a "Book of Remembrance" in which you can inscribe the name of your loved ones who have passed away, and to light a candle for them if you wish. We invite all parishioners to remember their loved ones by writing their name in the book, and offering a prayer for their soul.

An Invitation from the Flame of Love Prayer Group

November is the month traditionally dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls—and the Spiritual Diary of Elizabeth Kindelmann reveals an extraordinary Flame of Love grace for them. Our Lady told Elizabeth,

“During November, the month of the deceased, ten souls will be released from Purgatory for each Hail Mary recited. The suffering souls must also feel the effect of grace of the Flame of Love of my maternal heart."

— Spiritual Diary, October 13, 1962

All are invited to begin on All Saints’ Day, followed by All Souls’ Day, bringing our deceased parents, grandparents, ancestors and loved ones before God in prayer.

WHAT IS THE 54-DAY NOVENA?

Inspired by the traditional 54-Day Rosary Novena, the Flame of Love 54-Day Rosary Novena for Generational Healing consists of six consecutive nine-day novenas offered for the healing and sanctification of our family lineage.

We intentionally pray for five generations of our family tree—living and deceased—and for the needs we know about and those known only to God.

54 DAYS • 6 NOVENAS • 5 GENERATIONS COVERED IN PRAYER

Our prayers also include renunciation of the Seven Deadly Sins, reparation to the Holy Trinity and for sins against the Seven Sacraments, and prayers invoking the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. Michael the Archangel.

FROM ALL SAINTS INTO ADVENT

These 54 days carry us from All Saints and All Souls through Advent to Christmas Eve—praying for those who have gone before us and for the generations that follow.

Family News and Events

Parent Bible Study each Sunday during Religious Ed


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 11/4

All are welcome to join our November Kids Club which will be an All Saints Day Costume party - open to all children of the parish grades 1-5! Email Jessica for more information

December's Kids Club will be our annual Christmas Caroling visit to the Sister of Nazareth in Monroe

Knights of Columbus News

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

THANK YOU

The Knights of Columbus express their thanks to the Parish community for their generosity with clothing, food, diapers, & baby item donations for the Domingo Arribas Memorial Needs Drive this past Saturday, October 24. A very successful drive to benefit our local community!

Your generous donations helped to replenish the non-perishable food supplies, toiletries, coats/hoodies for Blessed Sacrament & Father Skip. For Hopeline, we collected diapers, baby clothing, toys, changing stations, and monetary donations which we will deliver later this week to support their causes. For the Bridgeport Rescue Mission, we once again collected nearly 2200 lbs of clothing, shoes, & bedding. As always, Father Skip, Hopeline, & the Bridgeport Rescue Mission were extremely thankful for our generosity. 

Thanks to everyone who took the time on a cold morning to come out to donate for this memorial drive. Also want to thank all the Knights who assisted with the drive. As you can see from the pictures below, we filled up a 16 foot truck with donations and had a lot of help to do it! 

Until next Spring, please have a very Happy, Healthy, & Blessed Thanksgiving & Christmas season.   

May God Bless --

Rocky Scali & Frank Flynn

 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, pads for Mom, teethers, 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 in the area marked with a sign for Hopeline. 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

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, 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, Edward Isales, MaryAnn Voytek, Sal Guerrera, Anne Gulia, Raymond Gosselin, Nancy Czupkowski, Virginia LaQuesse, Dan Mongillo, Lawrence Cofone, Mary Witkowsky, John Rizzitelli, Dan Hermansson, Allison H., Dawn S., Sonny T., Baby Stevie P, Steve P, Sharon K, Robert P, Baby Robert C., Elizabeth Lapinksi

Please join us in praying our Monthly Parish Intention.

Our Petition for November is for: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

Our beloved deceased in Purgatory rely on our prayers to help them get to Heaven.

May we also pray for those souls who have no one to pray for them..

"Eternal rest grant unto them, Oh Lord,

and let perpetual light shine upon them.

 May their souls and the souls of all

 the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace."

AMEN

Mass Intentions for October 31 – November 8

Sun Nov 1 7:30am - The Stephens Family

Sun Nov 1 9:30am - Carlo Longo

Sun Nov 1 11:30am - St Jude Parishioners, The Andrade and Pinto Family

Deceased members of the Columbiettes  

Mon Nov 2 9:00am - All deceased Mason and Olivia family members

Mon Nov 2 7:00pm - Deceased members of St Jude Parish

Tue Nov 3 9:00am - Daniel A. Brennan

Wed Nov 4 9:00am - Brad Heines

Thu Nov 5 9:00am - Blessings for Lawrence Cofone

Fri Nov 6 9:00am - Elsa and Gustav Lemos

Sat Nov 7 9:00am - Holy Souls in Purgatory

Sat Nov 7 4:30pm - Howard Saad

Sun Nov 8 7:30am - Deceased members of Cole family

Sun Nov 8 9:30am - Ivan Gospic

Sun Nov 8 11:30am -St Jude Parishioners, Antony and D’Silva family

Nunzio Guerrera  

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.