Catholic Community of St. Jude at 801 North Bridge Street, DeWitt, MI 48820 US

From the Pastor

Are You New to our Parish Community? We are blessed to be a growing community. If you’re new to the parish, please take a few moments to register. Registering is a simple process: for a copy of our registration form click here, print and complete the form and give it to Father or Deacon Ted after any Mass, and we can assist you; you can call the parish offices (669-8335); or you can drop by the parish offices, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (closed for lunch at noon) in order to register in person (our parish offices are located at 409 N Wilson, just south of Scott School, about 3/4 of a mile from church). We stand ready to help you and to answer whatever questions you may have. Thanks again for being a part of our parish community!

Eleven Years and Counting...

I was reminded by an annual floral delivery earlier this week that at the end of December 2010 I began my 12th year of service to our parish community as pastor. Every year, as the anniversary of my arrival at St. Jude passes—the Sunday after Christmas, which is the Feast of the Holy Family—I am reminded that God has given me a tremendous gift by guiding my life’s path to the Catholic Community of St. Jude. If you had told me in the spring of 1999 that I would be the pastor of St. Jude at the end of that year, I would have told you that you were nuts. Events in my priestly life and ministry at that time seemed to have me pointed in a completely different direction, as I was preparing later that summer to conclude my service to the people of St. Thomas the Apostle in Ann Arbor and anticipating an additional two or three years of post-graduate study in Rome.

Then came a series of events that no one could have anticipated. Fr. Dan’s diagnosis with cancer in September of 1999, the rapid decline of his health and his eventual death in December of that same year left a gaping hole here. After Fr. Dan’s death, Bishop Mengeling asked me to serve as administrator of St. Jude, and eventually assigned me here as your pastor. I timidly accepted his invitation on December 8, 1999. The rest is, as they say, history. God does work in very mysterious ways.

I also readily acknowledge that I stand on the shoulders of giants—each of the previous pastors and past and current staff of St. Jude have brought an amazing array of gifts to their service to the parish. Those gifts, coupled with the love and faith of a wonderful parish community, make this a truly special parish. I have been blessed to be here for such a long time and to be given the opportunity to learn how to be a pastor with the gentle guidance of so many through the years. I am very much aware that I am still a work in progress, and so if I have let you down in any way over these years, I ask your forgiveness. I also offer each of you my thanks for the gifts of faith and friendship that you have shared with me. I pray that we may have more years together. I thank God for all of you and for this place called the Catholic Community of St. Jude!

Ever Thought About Becoming Catholic?

The Church provides a process to guide those who are journeying to faith in the Catholic Church. That process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (or the RCIA, for short).

The RCIA is in the process of beginning for this coming year.

Perhaps someone you know was never baptized but has expressed an interest in being baptized.
Perhaps someone you know has been raised in another Christian tradition and has been curious about the Catholic Church.
Perhaps someone you know has never been to church but has expressed an interest in finding out more about what faith in God is all about.

The RCIA is intended for people just such as these—people we all know. The RCIA is for people of all ages—adults, youth, and children.

If you know anyone (adult or child) who is interested in becoming Catholic, please offer them a personal invitation to explore the Catholic Church by inviting them to consider being a part of the RCIA.

For those who are already fully-initiated members of the Church (baptized and confirmed), serving as a sponsor for the RCIA is a terrific way of learning more about our faith.

Please contact Jack Armstrong at 669-8341 x 25 for more information about beginning the RCIA or serving as an RCIA sponsor.

Hunger USA
Hunger here in the richest nation in the world? Impossible, one might think. But the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ annual Hunger and Homelessness Survey makes it clear that hunger and food insecurity (not always having access to enough food to meet basic needs) not only exist, but are on the rise. The increase is reflected in the fact that the two dozen cities surveyed found that requests for ...

(see full story)

US Senate: Cardinal McCarrick defends religious freedom of Muslims, Catholics

Testifying before a senate judiciary subcommittee hearing on “Protecting the Civil Rights of American Muslims,” Cardinal Theodore McCarrick defended the religious freedom of Muslims and Catholics.

Speaking on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the ...

(see full story)

In the Know with Father Joe
Dear Fr. Joe: What is a mortal sin? If I commit one, do I automatically go to hell?

(see full story)

Catholic Community of St. Jude at 801 North Bridge Street, DeWitt, MI 48820 US - From the Pastor

Don't forget to bookmark our website as one of your favorites.