The Patrioteer – January 17, 2025

January is fully upon us and for some this can mean the “January Doldrums” are here. After the excitement of the holiday season, January can feel very boring and dull. Here’s some ways to keep January fresh and make it meaningful for your family. 

1. Learn a new prayer or begin a novena for a special cause! Thinking about others is a great way to shake yourself out of a rut and to cultivate gratitude. 
2. Learn about a new saint or discover a new spirituality. The lives of the saints can be a great inspiration to us! 
3. Visit a new place or plan for a future visit to look forward to. Getting outside of our comfort zone and experiencing new things can be a great way to break up the monotony of everyday life! 
4. Do a spring clean up. Organizing and donating unused toys and clothes to charity can help your living space feel less cluttered and can also help others! 

As St. Paul wrote in his Second Letter to Corinthians: “Consequently, anyone united to Christ is a new creation. The old order has passed away. Behold, all has become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17. God wants us to continue to grow and renew ourselves in our faith and this new year is a perfect excuse! 

St. Jude, Pray for us!  

The St. Jude Parish Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a free throw competition in our school gym on Friday, January 24 at 3:00pm. 

Students aged 9-14 are welcome to join. Sign up sheets are available in your child’s classroom. 

Check out the website for the current schedule: https://stjude.ca/extracurricular/athletics/basketball/

Munchalunch is open for ordering from now till Spring Break.  A reminder that the deadline to order hot lunch is every Wednesday at 7am for the following week. 

We are now accepting new applications for the 2025-2026 school year.  If you know of anyone who would like to attend St Jude’s, please have them contact the office or visit our website for an application form.    They can also contact our office to schedule a school tour, led by a couple of our Grade 7 Student Ambassadors.

A reminder to our families that our referral program is operational. Every student that is referred and enrolls in our school for the year results in a reward of $200 for the the referring family. 

To learn more about the referral program, please click here. 

We at St. Jude School are overjoyed to announce that we are planning an Art Show and Open House for Catholic Schools Week, February 10-12. This celebration of our students’ individual talents is titled “In His Image: A Celebration of Unity.” Please keep an eye on the newsletter as more info will be released soon! 

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Next week marks the week of prayer for Christian Unity, an ecumenical opportunity for Christians around the world to pray for the unity of all Christians. For a complete schedule, click here.

Two New Year Events coming up in our Diocese. 

Chinese New Year Mass
Wednesday, January 29, 11 a.m.
St. John the Apostle Parish (5457 Trafalgar Street, Vancouver)

Jubilee Lunar New Year Dinner
Monday, February 3, 6:30 p.m. (Door opens at 5:30)
Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant (3888 Main Street, Vancouver)
Cost: $70 per ticket. For information and tickets, please call Deacon Ken Fung at (604) 803-5778, or Cecilia Leung at (604) 264-0613.

These events and more can be found on the Diocesan Website: https://beholdvancouver.org/events/cny.

St. Jude Parish Mass Times

Monday – Saturday: 9 am morning Masses
Novena Mass on Wednesdays: 7:30 pm
Saturday anticipated Mass: 5 pm
Sunday Mass: 9 am, 11 am, 5 pm