A Parish at 9405 West Florida Avenue
St. Jude Catholic Parish sits on the south side of West Florida Avenue in Lakewood, in the heart of Jefferson County just east of Kipling Street. The campus, with the church, Community Center, Youth Center, Holy Family House, and a tucked-away rosary garden, hums with activity seven days a week, from the 7:00 a.m. Sunday congregation through the Monday afternoon hours of Eucharistic Adoration and into the Thursday evening OCIA gathering in the lower level of the Community Center.
The parish's mission statement names the shape of that activity: "The Catholic Community of St. Jude Catholic Parish Lakewood is formed in faith in Jesus Christ. We seek to grow in our faith through the proclamation of God's Word and the celebration of the Sacraments. We are dedicated to love and care for all God's people in their physical and spiritual needs. The stewardship of our time, talent and treasure is conducted in a way that shows our gratitude to God for His blessings."
St. Jude is part of the Archdiocese of Denver and operates in the restored-order tradition that places Reconciliation in second grade and Confirmation and Eucharist together in third grade. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., reachable at 303.988.6435 or mail@saintjudelakewood.org. Father Jason Thuerauf serves as pastor, with Permanent Deacons Joe Hensley and John Volk assisting.
Mass, Confession, and Eucharistic Adoration
Sunday Mass is offered at 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. The Saturday vigil Mass is celebrated at 5:00 p.m. Daily Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday at 8:00 a.m., and the chapel is busy enough that the parish prints a separate music schedule each quarter for the 5:00 p.m., 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. Masses. Holy Day of Obligation Masses follow the pattern of 6:30 p.m. on the vigil and 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the day itself.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard every Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., with additional Thursday confessions during Lent from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and by appointment at other times.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament fills the church on Monday afternoons from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and on the first Friday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Whenever the parish offices are closed, adoration is suspended as well. The parish also gathers for a communal penance service each Advent and Lent.
The Seven Sacraments and the Restored Order
St. Jude celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments, and the parish is an early adopter of the Archdiocese of Denver's restored-order approach to Christian initiation. Baptism is the gateway: parents and godparents attend a preparation class in the lower level of the Community Center before a child is baptized, and children are typically baptized soon after birth. Adults and older children come into the Church through OCIA, receiving Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist together, usually at the Easter Vigil.
For children, the restored-order sacramental path begins in second grade with First Reconciliation. The following year, third graders (along with fourth and fifth graders who have not yet received First Communion) prepare for and receive Confirmation and First Eucharist together in the spring. The parish's sacramental prep is family-style: parents attend alongside their children at monthly Sunday afternoon meetings, with a $60 materials fee and scholarships for those who need them. Middle-schoolers and high-schoolers who still need sacraments follow a parallel track that runs in conjunction with EDGE or the high-school youth ministry.
Couples preparing for marriage begin with an initial meeting at the parish office, then meet with a deacon to complete the FOCCUS inventory, deposit a hold on the church, and discuss the rest of the process. They attend a Marriage Builder Weekend through the archdiocese, complete a Natural Family Planning course (the Couple-to-Couple League or Symtopro are recommended), review a final FOCUS inventory with the deacon, and meet with the wedding coordinator and music director to plan the liturgy. St. Jude requires couples to be registered in the parish for at least a year, with a 12-month preparation period; sons and daughters of registered parishioners may also be married here. Music for weddings is coordinated through Music Director Ed Dill.
The Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone facing serious illness, surgery, or the increasing frailty of old age. Families are encouraged to call the parish office at 303.988.6435 as soon as a serious diagnosis is made, before death is imminent. After hours, the office line routes to an emergency line. Funerals are arranged through Ministry Coordinator Sharon Hensley; families choose Scripture readings and music from prepared lists, with a typical funeral Mass including four songs plus the Responsorial Psalm.
Becoming Catholic: A Year-Round Journey
St. Jude's OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) and OCIC (for children over the age of seven) run year-round rather than on a fixed September-to-Easter cycle. The model "respects the journey of each person" and "assumes that those who come seeking initiation will be welcomed whenever they arrive, no matter what time of the year that happens to be."
The adult OCIA class meets every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the lower level of the Community Center. Catechesis centers on the paschal mystery and the language of journey, conversion, and discipleship. Volunteers serve as sponsors for baptism and confirmation candidates, as mentors who attend Mass with inquirers and answer questions, as bakers who supply snacks for meetings, and as prayer partners. Children over the age of seven needing sacraments register for regular religious education classes and attend additional family-style sacrament preparation classes about once a month, with a $60 materials fee.
For those considering Catholicism or simply curious about the faith, Sharon Hensley, the ministry coordinator, points newcomers toward short videos on "Who is Jesus?" and "What is the Catholic Church?" as a starting place. The combined formation program for adult catechumens typically runs 12 to 18 months, ending with Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
Forming Children from Preschool through High School
Faith formation at St. Jude begins long before First Communion. Seeds of Faith gathers preschoolers and kindergartners for 45 minutes of hands-on learning and storytelling on Sundays immediately after the 11:00 a.m. Mass in the Holy Family House.
Elementary Religious Education for grades one through five meets on Wednesdays from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. in the Holy Family House, following the school year. Parents are asked to attend the first 15 minutes of the kick-off class. The parish encourages families to enroll children at every grade level rather than waiting until second grade, so that a strong foundation is built before the sacraments arrive. Registration fees run $50 per student with a $220 family cap, and financial aid is always available.
EDGE, the middle-school youth ministry for grades six through eight, meets on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. in the Youth Center for snacks, games, small-group discussion, activities, and prayer. The high-school program runs on Sundays from 12:15 to 2:00 p.m. and blends discipleship groups, social nights, and service projects around a shared meal and prayer. Both groups charge a $50 registration fee, with scholarships available so finances never keep a student away. Mary Richards, the Director of Family Evangelization, oversees the parish's family-based sacramental preparation, religious education, and youth ministry programs, and she is the main contact for parents whose children have not yet been baptized.
Special Education and Inclusion
The Special Education ministry is designed for developmentally disabled parishioners of all ages. Classes meet on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Community Center, with a student-to-teacher ratio of one-to-one or one-to-two. Material is tailored to each student, with the goal of celebrating the sacraments and experiencing Christian community. Coordinator Diane Schreiber oversees the program, which begins a new academic year on the second Tuesday of September.
A Choir for Every Sunday Mass
Music ministry at St. Jude is built around five ensembles that rotate through the weekend Masses, supported by three staff accompanists (Diane Wieland, Emily Keelan, and Theodore Foelker) and coordinated by Music Director Ed Dill.
Joyful Heart is an SATB choir that sings approximately twice a month at the 5:00 p.m. Saturday vigil. Accompanied by piano, drums, guitar, bass, and flute, the group leans toward a contemporary style and rehearses on Thursday evenings. Its name reflects Psalm 66: "Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing of his glorious name."
Deo Cantus, Latin for "singing for God" or "a song to God", is an SATB choir that sings about twice a month at the 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, rehearsing on Tuesday evenings.
The Men's Choir sings four times a year at the 5:00 p.m. Saturday Mass, with rehearsals on the two Wednesday evenings preceding each scheduled Mass.
The Chenaniah praise band leads music at most 11:00 a.m. Sunday Masses. The name is drawn from 1 Chronicles 15, where Chenaniah is named as the leader of song before the Ark of the Covenant: "David was vested in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who carried the ark, the singers, and Chenaniah, the leader of song."
A trained Cantor Team fills in at Masses without a choir and sings at Holy Days and Stations of the Cross; cantors are typically members of one of the choirs as well.
Around the music ministry, a full team of liturgical ministers keeps the Mass moving: altar servers who have received First Communion, lectors who proclaim the readings at Mass, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, greeters and ushers (children may serve alongside an adult family member), and a sound ministry that runs the sanctuary audio from an iPad controller so volunteers can sit almost anywhere in the church. Art and Environment volunteers dress the church for liturgical seasons and feast days.
The Rosary Garden Behind the Church
Tucked behind the church and north of the Youth Center, the St. Jude Rosary Garden is open anytime. There is a gate, but it is never locked. The sidewalk traces a full rosary, with stepping stones placed for each Our Father and Hail Mary: visitors begin at the large cross, say the Our Father and three Hail Marys leading to the statues of Mary and the angel at the first mystery, then turn right to find ten Hail Mary stones before reaching the Our Father circle for the second mystery, and so on through the rest of the mysteries. The garden is a quiet complement to the busy schedule inside the church and the Community Center.
Outreach on Florida Avenue and Beyond
The Christian Service Committee meets on the first Monday of every month from September through May and coordinates three major parish efforts: the Holiday Assistance Program at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter; the spring and fall clothing drives for the Action Center; and the parish 911 Assistance Program. The committee also directs the grant associated with the parish's tithing program.
On selected first Sundays of the month, parishioners bring two sandwiches per sack and a non-perishable snack for Sack Lunch Sunday, supporting the Volunteers of America. Sandwiches are brought plain, with small condiment packs in separate baggies if desired.
The St. Francis Sewing Circle meets on the second Saturday of the month from September through November and January through May, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Community Center, stitching quilts and knitting and crocheting hats and blankets for those in need. Sewing experience is not required; a potluck lunch is served around noon, followed by prayer and a brief business meeting. The group welcomes donations of 100% cotton material and thread.
The Our Lady of Perpetual Help Rosary Makers meet on the second Monday of each month from September through May, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the St. Benedict Room. The group gathers to make rosaries for the military and missions around the world; all materials are supplied.
Court Madonna of the Mountains #2035 of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas meets on the first Saturday of every month (except July and August) in the Community Center, praying the rosary at 9:30 a.m. and meeting from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The court supports Quality of Life, Spiritual Enhancement, and Legislation projects, partners with Villa Manor Care Center to send birthday blessings and self-care items to residents, hosts Catholic film series during Advent and Lent, and supports national charities including Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Relief Services, Covenant House, the Labouré Society, Holy Cross Family Ministries, the Apostleship of the Sea, Human Life International, Catholic Extension, the Missionaries of Charity, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Knights of Columbus Saint Jude Council #16052 gathers on the first Tuesday for an officers' business meeting and on the second Tuesday for a membership meeting that begins with a rosary at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Benedict Room. The Serra Club of Southwest Denver, which promotes and affirms vocations to the ministerial priesthood and consecrated life, meets twice a month at Holy Name Parish on the first and third Friday mornings; members attend Mass at local parishes each month followed by a meal with the pastor to affirm their vocations.
Prayer, Fellowship, and Lifelong Learning
Several parish groups meet around the calendar for prayer, study, and fellowship. The Fellowship of Light, an adult faith-based learning group, watches videos, reads books, and explores the lives of the saints every Wednesday from September through May, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the St. Benedict Room. The Light of God Prayer Community meets Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Fireplace Room for prayer, song, and scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, concluding at 11:30 a.m. The Militia Immaculata, a worldwide movement founded by St. Maximilian Kolbe in 1917, gathers on the second Monday of each month from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the St. Benedict Room for consecration to Mary Immaculate.
The Raphael Book Club meets every Thursday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in the Fireplace Room; everyone is welcome. The Prime Timers serve parishioners at or past retirement age. Communion to the Homebound trains and schedules extraordinary ministers to bring the Eucharist to parishioners who are homebound, whether for a short-term recovery from illness or surgery or for the long term. Deacon Joe Hensley coordinates that ministry.
Staying Connected
St. Jude's weekly bulletin is available in print and online, with a bulletin archive reaching back several years. Parishioners can subscribe to Flocknote to receive weekend newsletters, funeral notifications, and a mid-week update by email or text; group-specific notes are available for Religious Education, Youth Ministry, and Music. The St. Jude Parish Chatter podcast, hosted by Father Jason Thuerauf and Deacon Joe Hensley, walks through the upcoming weekend's readings and shares parish news; new episodes appear on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Parish registration is open, with options for weekly or monthly envelopes, electronic giving through Faith Direct, or cash gifts at Mass. Father Thuerauf and the parish staff welcome new families and individuals looking for a spiritual home on Florida Avenue. From the rosary garden stepping stones to the Friday morning adoration chapel, from the Wednesday night EDGE games to the Saturday morning sewing circle, the rhythms of Word, Sacrament, and service continue to mark the life of St. Jude Catholic Parish in Lakewood.