Reflection from Fr. Joseph

One of the great blessings of living in the digital age is accessing our faith at our fingertips. Pretty much any saint, any Church Father, any Scripture verse can be looked up online. It’s nice, too, that we are able to live-stream Masses from around the world – from St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome to our lowly little St. Jude’s in Monroe.

Just a brief PSA (Public Service Announcement), though. I apologize for the bluntness – but life’s too short to beat around the bush!

Recently I’ve heard of many people mentioning that they couldn’t make it to Mass, so they watched it online instead. There are two valid reasons to watch Sunday Mass online: First, if a person is homebound, seriously sick (so sick that they can’t travel anywhere) or otherwise physically incapacitated from coming to Mass (such as in a blizzard). Second, if a person has already been to a Sunday Mass elsewhere and just wants to watch St. Jude’s Mass to be connected to the parish.

Invalid reasons to watch Sunday Mass online: I slept in; I was at my kids’ sports game; I was traveling; I was working; I was on vacation; it was more comfortable to watch it in my pajamas with my mocha latte. Watching Sunday Mass online for one of these reasons does not fulfill our Sunday obligation, and it is a grave mortal sin to miss Mass for such reasons. Please come to Confession before coming to Communion if you have missed even a single Sunday Mass for one of these reasons.

Two good resources, though, to help you. First, there are a couple of Sunday evening Masses in the surrounding area! St. Rose in Newtown has a 5pm Mass; St. Lawrence in Shelton has a 5pm Mass; Sacred Heart University has a 7pm Mass; Fairfield University has a 7:30pm Mass. So, morning Mass is not your only option!

Also, if you need to find a Mass while traveling, check out www.masstimes.org. With the holidays coming up and travel bringing us far and wide, this website lists all the Mass times in every city in the entire world! Definitely a must-have resource for Catholics.



So, live-streaming Mass is great…but it is no substitute for gathering as a community, hearing the Word of God, and worshipping Him in the Eucharist. We are an incarnational faith, not a digital one – it requires the sacrifice of time, effort, and physical presence to encounter Him. After all, He didn’t just send a book or a messenger from Heaven; He became physically present to us in the manger, and becomes physically present in the Eucharist. Let’s meet Him there!

Mark your calendars!

Day of Service - November 30

This Saturday, please come and help serve around the Parish! We need help preparing for Advent and Christmas, and with the completed school sale, we need help clearing out the school building. We will meet at 9am at St. Jude's. Coffee and donuts will be provided! All ages needed!

Town Hall Meeting - December 9

With the school sale completed, we'd love to hear your thoughts about next steps! Do we build a new building? If so, where, and what should it look like? Please join us for a Town Hall meeting in the Social Hall at 7:45pm on Monday, December 9 (after the 7pm Immaculate Conception Mass) to voice your thoughts on where we go from here as a parish!

Immaculate Conception - Holy Day of Obligation - December 9

Did you know that the Immaculate Conception is the Patronal Feast of the United States of America? As such, it is one of our holiest days in the church year, celebrating when Mary was conceived in her mother's womb without any stain of Original Sin. It is a Holy Day of Obligation, where Catholics are obliged - and blessed! - to attend Mass. Mass will be on Monday, December 9th at 9am and 7pm. See you there!

Candlelight Rorate Mass - December 14

Our annual Candlelight Rorate Mass (a traditional Mass in Advent which awaits the birth of the Light of the World, Jesus Christ) is coming up on Saturday, December 14th at 7:30pm. It will feature choral polyphony music and a solemn, sacred Mass celebrated entirely by candlelight. Last year was stunningly beautiful - please come and experience the hushed awe of beauty and solemnity this Advent!

Parish News

This weekend is Accountability Sunday throughout all the parishes in the Diocese. As part of the requirements, we are publishing two financial reports.

Statement of Financial Position vs the Prior year.



Statement of Activities vs the Prior year.

MEN'S CLOTHING DRIVE

We are looking for coats-especially men's work type jackets and work shoes - sizes 7, 8 1/2 , 9 and 9 1/2 

Contact Father Ukaj or Karin Tierney for details 

PARISH MASS INTENTION BOOK

Our Parish Mass Intention book opens for requested masses

after Easter each year.

Our 2025 Book opened last April 8, 2024.

We have 4 masses each weekend, but only 3 are available for requested intentions .

By Papal decree a mass every weekend is to be said for the

Parishioners of St Jude.

Even with our limiting the number of intentions per person,

the 2025 book is almost totally filled.

To help open up more intentions

we are designating our 11:30am Sunday mass as a Collective Mass.

This means that starting December 1 we will make available

three (3) requested intentions at the 11:30am Mass.

This will only be available at that Mass.

If you have any questions call the office during office hours.

Family News and Updates

ROOTED MAGAZINE

Our monthly digital subscription to Rooted Magazine has arrived for December! Full of great resources for Advent. Hard copies available at the family ministry table. Also in the foyer, help yourself to a "Garland of Good Deeds" to use during Advent!

Check out the latest issue here. You can also view any past issues that you may have missed here.

Upcoming Christmas Caroling Opportunities!

SAVE THE DATES!

Sunday 12/8 - Join the Kid's Club for Caroling, Crafts and Adoration with the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Perfect for families! 3-5 pm

Tuesday 12/10 - Caroling to our Homebound Parishioners. Meet at Saint Jude at 3:45 pm

Sunday 12/15 - Caroling to our Homebound Parishioners. Meet at Saint Jude after 11:30 Mass

EMAIL JESSICA TO RSVP

The 2024-25 Children's Missals are here!

Copies are available in the basket at the bottom of the Family Ministry table in the church vestibule.

Please return to the basket after use so that we have enough available for each Mass.

Attention Parents!

If you are interested in an at home study along with other parents this Advent, email Jessica!

Check out the He is Goodness Advent study here

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 this summer!

Please click on the image to view the flyer.

Youth Encounter

Knights of Columbus News

Food Pantry - Important Update

PLEASE NOTE: that as an unintended consequence of the sale of the school building we had to make the difficult decision to close our food pantry. We have provided our families with other outlets/sources for assistance. They understand the circumstances and are thankful for your generosity and support over the many years of our operation. Since charity is a pillar of our faith we are also making arrangements to carry on our ministry in modified fashion. Arrangements have been made to deliver any donations you still wish to make to Blessed Sacrament or another local pantry. Please prayerfully consider continuing to bring non-perishable food items to Mass each week and as has been the case - leave them in the baskets provided in the foyer knowing that they will be collected and provided to those in need. Again, thank you again for your continued generosity and understanding.

Hopeline Pregnancy Center has a continued need for disposable diapers. They are currently low on all sizes Newborn to size 7, wipes and jars of baby food as well as Baby clothes, bottles and pacifiers and car seats. 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. 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, Zoey Frigo, Daniel Louis Bianco, Max, Hung Vu, 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, Barbara Tranchese, Mary Lopresti, Lor C., Viola Cleo Bradshaw, Susan W. and Janet C, Larry Pisani, Vincent Pisani, Greg, Kaiti and Cameron Kessler, Michael Merola & Family, Mildred Blasko, Father Krzysztof, and Baby Henry Taylor, Garren Kiett, Becky M., Flo Guite, Michael, and Donna, Darryl Patterson, Louise Noll, Chrystal Archuletta and Alice Gumpert, Diane Cummings, Chloe Capra, Lucy Hanson, Mia, Jesse Hurst & Family, Hav Tweedy, Andrea Paddock

Please join us in praying our Monthly Parish Intention.

Our Petition for December is:

May we remember and celebrate that the greatest gift we could receive on Christmas 

was the birth of Jesus Christ coming into the world...

           We pray to the Lord 

Mass Intentions for  November 30 – December 8

Sat   Nov 30       4:30pm       Isabel Dantas Teixeira and Jose Dantas

Sun  Dec 1         7:30am       Carmine Richard Polzello

Sun   Dec 1         9:30am       The Pinto and DeAndrade Family

Sun  Dec 1        11:30am     Penny Bernath

                          11:30am     Emanuel Cambra

11:30am     Laura Donovan

Mon  Dec 2         9:00am       Theresa Dyer

Tue   Dec 3         9:00am       Mary Charlotte Braccio

Wed  Dec 4         9:00am      Brian Norris

Thu   Dec 5         9:00am      Robert Boreman III

Fri    Dec 6         9:00am       Joseph Byrne

Sat   Dec 7         8:30am       Margaret Tranzillo

Sat   Dec 7         4:30pm       St Jude Parishioners

Sun  Dec 8         7:30am       The Holy Souls in Purgatory

Sun   Dec 8         9:30am       Anibal Rodrigues

Sun  Dec 8         11:30am     Harriet Kilpatrick

11:30am     Laura Donovan

Tabernacle Candle: In memory of Jose Dantas and Isabel Dantas Texeira

Adoration Candles: In memory of Andrew Henn

Wine and Hosts: In memory of Charles Metoyer

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 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.

Advent Wreaths, Candles & Calendars will be on sale weekend 1/30-12/01. Blessing!!!

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.