About Saint Jude [Syro-Malankara] · Los Gatos, California
St. Jude Syro-Malankara Catholic Mission is the Malankara Catholic worship community serving the faithful of Northern California (San Francisco Bay Area), within the Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of St. Mary, Queen of Peace, USA & Canada. It is a small mission (not a parish) of the Syro-Malankara (West Syrian / Antiochian) Catholic Church — an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with Rome — celebrated in the Malayalam language. The mission gathers weekly at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Saratoga, California (Los Gatos mailing address per directories), and is shepherded by Vicar Rev. Fr. Biju Varghese Daniel.
- Patron
- St. Jude the Apostle (also called Thaddeus), one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus — invoked as 'Patron of Hope and Difficult Causes'
- Rector
- Rev. Fr. Biju Varghese Daniel (Vicar)
- Diocese
- Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy of St. Mary, Queen of Peace, USA & Canada (immediately subject to the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum)
Why belong here
St. Jude Syro-Malankara Mission offers Bay Area Malayalam-speaking Catholics the rare chance to worship in the West Syrian / Antiochian rite of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church — an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope — in their own language (Malayalam, with an English Mass on the first Sunday of each month). It is a close-knit mission where families can attend Holy Qurbana together, with Faith Formation classes for children immediately following the liturgy. As one of only a handful of Syro-Malankara communities in California, it is a gathering point of the local Malankara Catholic diaspora rooted in the apostolic faith of St. Jude Thaddeus.
Mass times at Saint Jude [Syro-Malankara]
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Jude Malankara Mission
The St. Jude Malankara Catholic Mission is shepherded by Father Biju Varghese Daniel and serves the Malankara Catholic faithful located in San Francisco (Bay Area), California. The mission lives in full communion with His Holiness Pope Francis as Universal Shepherd and Supreme Pontiff, with His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos as the sui juris Church Head and Father, and with His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Philipos Mar Stephanos as bishop of the Eparchy of St. Mary, Queen of Peace, USA & Canada. The Eucharist (Holy Qurbana) of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Community of Northern California is conducted in Malayalam.
St. Jude – Patron of Hope and Difficult Causes
According to the mission's own website, Saint Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and is generally identified with Thaddeus. He is venerated as the patron of hope and difficult (or 'hopeless') causes. In the Roman Catholic tradition St. Jude is widely invoked as the patron saint of impossible or desperate causes, a devotion that began in France and Germany in the late 18th century and continues today. The Roman feast of St. Jude is celebrated jointly with St. Simon the Apostle on October 28.
- Patron of Hope and Difficult Causes
- Traditionally identified with Thaddeus, one of the Twelve Apostles
- Reputed author of the canonical Letter of Jude
- Roman feast day: October 28 (with St. Simon)
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (West Syrian Rite)
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church — also known as the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church — is a West Syrian Rite (Antiochian) Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See of Rome. The mission's worship therefore follows the Antiochian liturgical tradition originating in the early Christian communities of the Levant, celebrated in the vernacular language of the gathered faithful (Malayalam here). St. Jude Mission belongs to the Eparchy of St. Mary, Queen of Peace, USA & Canada, which is immediately subject to the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum and is not part of a Latin-rite ecclesiastical province.
- Rite: West Syrian / Antiochian (Syro-Malankara)
- In full communion with the Bishop of Rome
- Cathedral of the eparchy: St. Vincent de Paul Syro-Malankara Catholic Cathedral, Elmont, NY
Clergy – Vicar
Rev. Fr. Biju Varghese Daniel is the priest in charge (Vicar) of St. Jude Malankara Mission. According to the Eparchy's directory he was ordained in 2004 and currently serves as Pastor of the St. Jude Syro-Malankara Catholic Mission, San Jose. He can be reached through the contact details below; parishioners and visitors are encouraged to email him with questions about services, sacraments, or special liturgical needs.
- Rev. Fr. Biju Varghese Daniel — Vicar / priest in charge
- Year of ordination: 2004
- Email: [email protected]
- Mobile: (215) 971-0639
Eparchial Hierarchy
As an Eastern Catholic mission of the Syro-Malankara tradition, St. Jude is part of a worldwide communion headed by the Pope and the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Church. The North American eparchy is led by its own bishop, distinct from the local Latin-rite Roman Diocese of San Jose in whose territory the mission sits.
- Universal Shepherd: His Holiness Pope Francis
- Catholicos / sui juris Church Head: His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis (Major Archbishop of Trivandrum)
- Bishop of the Eparchy: His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Philipos Mar Stephanos
- Located geographically within the Roman Diocese of San Jose
Worship Location
The mission does not maintain its own building. Holy Qurbana is celebrated at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 13716 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070. (Some directories continue to list 219 Bean Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030 as the mission's mailing location.)
- Worship venue: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Saratoga, CA
- Mailing / directory location: 219 Bean Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation classes for children are held immediately after Holy Qurbana on Sundays, making the Sunday gathering a one-stop weekly rhythm of liturgy plus catechesis for Syro-Malankara families in the Bay Area. Specific curriculum, grades, or registration details are not published on the mission's website.
- Children's Faith Formation classes after Holy Qurbana on Sundays
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors are asked to direct general questions and special-service requests to the vicar by email; the mission says it will try to respond within 24 hours. The address below is that of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where the Syro-Malankara community gathers each Sunday.
- Vicar: Fr. Biju Varghese
- Email: [email protected]
- Worship address: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 13716 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070
- Website: stjudemission.org
Getting Involved
As a small mission, St. Jude relies on the active participation of Malankara Catholic families across the Bay Area. The website invites all to attend ('All are Welcome') and encourages reaching out to the vicar for questions about services, sacraments, or how to join the community.
- All are welcome to attend Sunday Holy Qurbana
- Contact the vicar to learn about ministries, sacraments, or community life