Shrine of St. Jude Catholic Church

About the Shrine of St. Jude

The Shrine of St. Jude is a Roman Catholic parish and shrine church in Aspen Hill, Rockville, Maryland, canonically established in 1956 within the Archdiocese of Washington and dedicated to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron of desperate causes. It is a multilingual community — English, Spanish, and Tagalog — of about 2,800 families drawn from roughly 60 nationalities, with a strong devotional identity built around the shrine of St. Jude, a weekly novena, and Eucharistic Adoration. In 2025 the Archdiocese of Washington named the parish a Jubilee Church for the Holy Year, formalizing what parishioners have long described as a place of pilgrimage and hope.

• Parish type: Catholic shrine church / parish
• Diocese: Archdiocese of Washington
• Designated Jubilee Church for Holy Year 2025 (Dec. 29, 2024 – Dec. 28, 2025)

Parish History

The parish was made possible by a 1953 gift of $25,500 from the Allen family, used to purchase ten acres in Aspen Hill. It was canonically established in June 1956 under Cardinal Patrick A. O'Boyle, with Rev. Francis J. Lauriola as its founding pastor. Early Masses were held in the Veirs Mill Theater, and the current 1,200-seat church was dedicated on April 3, 1971, also by Cardinal O'Boyle. The parish was renamed the Shrine of St. Jude in 1976, and the interior shrine to St. Jude was installed in 1978. The parish celebrated its 60th anniversary in October 2016 with Cardinal Donald Wuerl.

• 1953: Allen family gift of $25,500 to purchase ten acres in Aspen Hill
• 1956: Parish canonically established by Cardinal O'Boyle; first pastor Msgr. Francis J. Lauriola; 761 charter families
• 1956: Parish school opens with five Bernardine Sisters and 200+ students
• 1967: Plans approved for a new 1,200-seat church and rectory renovation
• April 3, 1971: New church dedicated by Cardinal O'Boyle
• 1976: Parish renamed the Shrine of St. Jude
• 1978: Shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus installed in the church
• 1990: Convent converted into a retirement home for the Bernardine Sisters
• 2003: Twelve-foot statue of St. Jude relocated to its present site
• October 23, 2016: 60th anniversary Mass with Cardinal Donald Wuerl (1,400+ attendees)
• 2016: Bernardine Sisters return to their Mother House in Reading, PA after 60 years
• December 12, 2024: Cardinal Wilton Gregory names the parish a Jubilee Church for 2025

Mission Statement

The parish's published mission statement reads: 'We are a Catholic Christian community of diverse origins united as a family under the patronage of Saint Jude Thaddeus, the apostle, friend, and relative of Jesus. We believe, cherish, and celebrate the saving truth of Christ as handed down to us in the Church Universal. We are committed to learn, live, teach, and spread the beautiful and precious Catholic faith. We seek to become the "Beacon of Christ on the Hill" in our neighborhood and beyond.'

Mass & Sacrament Schedule

The Shrine offers one of the most extensive Mass schedules in the Archdiocese of Washington, with multiple daily Masses, a full Sunday schedule in English, Spanish, and Tagalog, a Saturday Vigil, and a first-Friday Spanish evening Mass. Confessions are heard Saturday afternoons and by appointment; Eucharistic Adoration is offered all day Thursday in St. Clare Chapel.

• Sunday: 7:00, 8:30, 10:30 AM (English); 12:30 PM (Spanish); 3:00 PM on 3rd Sundays (Tagalog); 5:00 PM (1st & 3rd Sun English; 2nd & 4th Sun Spanish)
• Monday–Friday: 6:30 AM and 9:00 AM (English)
• 1st Friday of the month: additional 7:00 PM Mass in Spanish
• Saturday: 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM (English); Vigil 5:00 PM (English)
• Holy Days: times as announced
• Confessions: Saturdays 3:30–4:45 PM and by appointment
• Eucharistic Adoration: Thursdays 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM in St. Clare Chapel

Devotion to St. Jude Thaddeus

Devotion to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron of desperate or hopeless causes, is the spiritual heart of the parish. The parish shrine to St. Jude — with the saint's statue surrounded by votive candles and flanked by statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph — is open during daylight hours, and visitors and parishioners stop by throughout the day. The Shrine offers a weekly novena to St. Jude on Tuesday evenings (7:00–8:00 PM) and an annual Solemn Novena during the nine days leading up to the October 28 feast day of St. Jude. Votive candles may also be requested online through the parish's ParishSoft form, with a suggested donation of $4 per candle.

• Weekly Novena to St. Jude — Tuesdays, 7:00 PM
• Annual Solemn Novena to St. Jude — nine days before October 28
• Votive candles available at the shrine and via online request ($4 suggested donation)

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Religious education has been part of the parish since 1956. The Faith Formation program (long known as the CCD program) prepares children, youth, and adults for the sacraments of First Communion, First Penance, and Confirmation, and currently serves roughly 600 youth. The Faith Formation Office is staffed by the Faith Formation Director and is open to inquiries from parents and adult learners.

• Faith Formation Director listed on parish staff directory
• Preparation for First Communion, First Penance, and Confirmation
• Adult faith formation opportunities listed on the parish website
• Approximately 600 youth served by the program

St. Jude Regional Catholic School

St. Jude Regional Catholic School is a parish-based Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Washington serving students in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade, of all religious, racial, ethnic, and income backgrounds. Originally established as a parish school in 1956 and formally re-established as a regional school in 2010, the school is sponsored by the Shrine of St. Jude and supported by the parishes of St. Francis of Assisi (Derwood, MD), Our Lady Queen of the Americas (Washington, D.C.), and Our Lady of Grace (Silver Spring, MD). It is accredited by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, and currently enrolls about 220 students.

• Founded as a parish school in September 1956 by five Bernardine Sisters
• Re-established as a regional school in 2010
• Grades: Pre-K-3 through 8th
• Enrollment: approximately 220 students
• Address: 4820 Walbridge St, Rockville, MD 20853
• Phone: 301-946-7888

Hispanic Ministry / Ministerio Hispano

Roughly 40% of the parish's 2,800 families identify as Hispanic, and the parish maintains an active Spanish-language liturgical and pastoral program under the direction of Parochial Vicar Father Juan Pablo Noboa. Spanish-language Masses are offered every Sunday at 12:30 PM and on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 5:00 PM, with an additional first-Friday Spanish Mass at 7:00 PM. A bilingual Mass Aid is available for download from the parish website.

• Father Juan Pablo Noboa, Hispanic Ministry / Ministerio Hispano
• Sunday 12:30 PM Mass in Spanish
• Sunday 5:00 PM Mass in Spanish (2nd and 4th Sundays)
• 1st Friday 7:00 PM Mass in Spanish
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) Mass Aid available on parish website

Liturgy, Music & Neocatechumenal Way

The Shrine offers a robust liturgical life that includes a weekly Sunday TV Mass archive (linked from the parish site), livestreamed daily and Sunday Masses, and a Neocatechumenal Way community that celebrates a Mass in Madigan Hall (formerly the Blue Room). The parish's main and chapel worship spaces include the main church (1,200 seats), St. Clare Chapel (used for the Saturday Vigil in the chapel and Thursday Adoration), Madigan Hall, and the Thaddeus Room.

• Livestreamed Sunday and daily Masses on the parish website
• Neocatechumenal Way Mass in Madigan Hall
• St. Clare Chapel — site of Thursday Eucharistic Adoration and 7:30 PM Saturday Vigil Mass (per Catholic Standard coverage)

Parish Staff & Clergy

The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Paul D. Lee, STD, with senior retired priest Rev. Robert J. Kosty, Parochial Vicars Father Juan Pablo Noboa and Father Francisco Rodriguez, and Deacon Nick Scholz. The lay staff includes the Faith Formation Director, Hispanic Ministry coordinator, parish secretary, administrative assistant, accountant, and facilities manager.

• Rev. Paul D. Lee, STD — Pastor
• Rev. Robert J. Kosty — Senior Priest (Retired)
• Father Juan Pablo Noboa — Parochial Vicar; Hispanic Ministry
• Father Francisco Rodriguez — Parochial Vicar
• Deacon Nick Scholz
• Faith Formation Director (listed by name on parish staff page)
• Parish Secretary: Laura Sanchez Cruz
• Administrative Assistant: Stacie Vasquez
• Accountant: Jeofrey Belen
• Facilities Manager: Ferdinando Reyes

Jubilee Church 2025

On December 12, 2024, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, then Archbishop of Washington, formally designated the Shrine of St. Jude the Apostle in Rockville as a Jubilee Church for sacred pilgrimage during the 2025 Holy Year (December 29, 2024 – December 28, 2025), making it one of nine parish churches — and the only one in Rockville — so designated in the Archdiocese of Washington. Catholics making a pilgrimage to the Shrine during the Jubilee Year, under the usual conditions, may receive the Jubilee Indulgence. Pilgrims from neighboring parishes, including St. Andrew Apostle in Silver Spring, have organized walking pilgrimages via the Northwest Branch and Matthew Henson Trails to the Shrine.

• Designation by Cardinal Wilton Gregory, December 12, 2024
• One of nine Jubilee Churches in the Archdiocese of Washington for 2025
• Documented walking pilgrimage route from St. Andrew Apostle (Silver Spring) via NW Branch and Matthew Henson Trails

Outreach & Community Life

In addition to its devotional and sacramental life, the Shrine is engaged in community outreach. A parish food pantry supports neighbors in need, and the parish is one of the most ethnically diverse in the Archdiocese of Washington. Parish organizations listed on the website provide services to young people, seniors, the parish, the local community, and the wider Church.

• Parish Food Pantry
• Parish prayer groups and Scripture study
• Outreach to youth, seniors, and the local community
• Approximately 2,800 registered families from about 60 nationalities