St. Jude

History of St. Jude Parish

St. Jude was founded in 1956 on Bridgetown Road on land originally farmed by Henry Kramer, a German immigrant who came to Cincinnati in 1912. His grandson sold the 16+ acre tract to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and Monsignor Stanley Bertke was appointed by Archbishop Karl J. Alter on September 8, 1956 to organize the new parish. The first Mass was celebrated in the Bridgetown Public School gymnasium in October 1956; ground was broken for a temporary church-and-school on July 28, 1956; the parish officially began in January 1957; and the school opened September 1958 with 643 students. The present church was built in 1969–70 and dedicated September 20, 1970.

• 1956 — Parish founded under Msgr. Stanley Bertke
• 1957 — Parish officially begins
• 1958 — St. Jude School opens with 643 children under Principal Sister Melithon
• 1968 — Parish Council votes to build a new church
• July 1970 — Cornerstone laid
• September 20, 1970 — Current church dedicated
• 1976 — Sacred Heart and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton statues installed
• Present — Parish Center built via Capital Campaign Fund

Patron Saint — St. Jude the Apostle

St. Jude, the parish's patron, was a cousin of our Lord, an apostle, an inspired writer of the New Testament, and a martyr for the faith. While little is historically certain about his life, St. Jude is widely recognized as the patron of difficult and hopeless causes, and the parish bears his name as a sign of trust in his intercession.

• Apostle and New Testament writer
• Patron of difficult and hopeless causes
• Feast day: October 28 (with St. Simon)

The Church Building & Stained Glass

The current church was built in 1969–70 and dedicated September 20, 1970. Its two types of stained glass are the parish's signature feature: large faceted glass in the sanctuary and over the front entrance, plus figurative panels along the nave walls. The great west window depicts the Holy Trinity — Christ the Redeemer at the center, God the Father as Creator on one side, and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost on the other, with creation radiating outward (sun, moon, stars, planets, 'and even space ships').

Parish Staff & Clergy

St. Jude is currently shepherded by Pastor Rev. Donald Siciliano and Parochial Vicars Rev. Martin Bachman and Rev. Jerry Hiland. The lay staff includes a Business Director (Ken Schultz), Music Director (Greg Williams), Interim School Principal (Julie Nagel), Administrative Assistant (Trisha Popov), a Clerical Assistant (Kathy Ludwig), and Maintenance Supervisor (Matt Stenger).

• Rev. Donald Siciliano — Pastor
• Rev. Martin Bachman — Parochial Vicar
• Rev. Jerry Hiland — Parochial Vicar
• Ken Schultz — Business Director
• Greg Williams — Music Director
• Julie Nagel — Interim School Principal
• Trisha Popov — Administrative Assistant
• Kathy Ludwig — Clerical Assistant
• Matt Stenger — Maintenance Supervisor

St. Jude Parish School

St. Jude School opened its doors in September 1958 with 643 children under Principal Sister Melithon in fourteen classrooms (eight lower, six upper). It began as part of the original 1956 'combination church and school' building — the first floor served as church seating on Sundays and a classroom on school days. After the current church was dedicated in 1970, the original worship space became the 'Old Gym' and multi-purpose room, where remnants of the original confessionals and pipe organs can still be seen. The parish continues to operate a parish school on-site alongside the church.

• Opened September 1958 with 643 students
• First principal: Sister Melithon
• Original 14 classrooms (8 lower, 6 upper)
• Old Gym retains original confessional and pipe-organ fragments

Divine Mercy Family of Parishes

St. Jude is partnered with St. Joseph (North Bend) and Our Lady of the Visitation in the Divine Mercy Family of Parishes. While each parish keeps its own name and patron, together they 'come together to be Apostles of Mercy' — praying for one another, sharing pastoral resources, and supporting outreach. Live-streamed Masses, hearing-assistance devices, and shared faith-formation opportunities flow across the family of parishes.

• St. Joseph — 25 East Harrison Avenue, North Bend, OH 45052
• St. Jude — 5924 Bridgetown Road, Cincinnati, OH 45248
• Our Lady of the Visitation — 3172 South Road, Cincinnati, OH 45248
• Hearing-assistance devices available at all three parishes
• Saturday Vigil Mass live-streamed

Liturgical Ministries & Music

St. Jude runs the usual parish liturgical ministries — Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, and Servers — with schedules posted to the parish website under Resources/Schedules. Music is led by Music Director Greg Williams. The parish also supports an ASL interpreter at the Saturday 5:00 PM Mass.

• Eucharistic Ministers schedule
• Lectors schedule
• Servers schedule
• Music Director: Greg Williams
• ASL interpreter at Saturday 5 PM Mass

Parish Center & Campus

The most recent building project was the Parish Center, funded through the parish's Capital Campaign Fund. It houses a new gym plus computer, art, and music rooms for the school children, along with three meeting rooms for parish organizations. The wider campus integrates the 1970 church, the 1958-vintage school, the 'Old Gym' from the original 1956 building, and the new Parish Center.

• New gymnasium
• Computer, art, and music classrooms for the school
• Three meeting rooms for parish organizations
• Funded by Capital Campaign

Getting Involved — Founding Parishioner Spirit

The parish website's history page emphasizes that St. Jude has always been a parish built by families. Original parishioners dug ditches, painted the school, made altar linens and vestments, ran the festivals and raffles, kept the books, advertised the bulletin, and counted the Sunday collection. The parish describes that 'family involvement is part of the deep-rooted tradition that keeps us thriving today,' inviting new parishioners to plug into ministries, liturgical service, and parish life.

• Family-friendly parish life
• Volunteer-built heritage
• Open ministries advertised via parish website

Visit, Contact, and Office Information

St. Jude the Apostle Parish is located at 5924 Bridgetown Road, Cincinnati (Bridgetown), OH 45248-3108. The parish office phone is (513) 574-1230 and the fax is (513) 598-2109; the office email is [email protected]. The parish website at stjudebridgetown.org hosts the latest Mass video, online giving, schedules, and contact forms.

• Address: 5924 Bridgetown Road, Cincinnati, OH 45248-3108
• Phone: (513) 574-1230
• Fax: (513) 598-2109
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.stjudebridgetown.org/
• Divine Mercy Family hub: https://divinemercyfam.org/