About St. Jude Catholic Church · Ocala, Florida
St. Jude Catholic Parish is a dynamic, family-oriented Roman Catholic parish in the Marion Oaks area of Ocala, Florida, belonging to the Diocese of Orlando. Under the pastoral care of Fr. Raúl Valdez since 2020, the parish celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish, offers a robust Faith Formation program for children and adults, runs a food pantry, and is known for its 24/7 livestream on YouTube. The parish mission is 'To know God, to love Him, to serve Him' — a presence made visible through spiritual formation, community life, service, and stewardship.
- Established
- 1985
- Patron
- St. Jude Thaddeus (Apostle, patron saint of lost and desperate causes)
- Rector
- Rev. Raúl Valdez
- Diocese
- Diocese of Orlando
Why belong here
St. Jude Catholic Parish is a warm, multilingual Catholic home in the Marion Oaks area of Ocala where the parish mission — 'To know God, to love Him, to serve Him' — is lived out in real, tangible ways. Families find a complete Faith Formation program for children and adults (with First Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, and RCIA classes), two Spanish Masses each weekend, a working food pantry serving the neighborhood, Eucharistic Adoration, and a calendar of retreats, pilgrimages, and small-group studies. With 24/7 livestreamed Mass on YouTube, coffee and donuts after Sunday morning Masses, and a Deacon-led baptism prep class, St. Jude makes it easy to belong whether you are a lifelong Catholic or just exploring the faith.
Mass times at St. Jude Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM (English/Spanish)
- Saturday 5:15 PM – 5:45 PM (English/Spanish)
- Also by appointment
Adoration times
- Thursday (weekly) — Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
About St. Jude Catholic Parish
St. Jude Catholic Parish is a Roman Catholic parish in the Marion Oaks area of Ocala, Florida, in the Diocese of Orlando. The parish describes itself as a 'dynamic, family-oriented church with people of all ages,' where the mission is 'To know God, to love Him, to serve Him' and where God's presence is made visible through spiritual formation, community life, service, and stewardship. Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish, and the parish runs a 24/7 livestream on YouTube that is not recorded. The parish is led by Pastor Fr. Raúl Valdez, three deacons, and a small staff, and it serves a wide geographic area that once required a 15-mile drive to reach the nearest Catholic church.
- Diocese of Orlando
- Pastor: Rev. Raúl Valdez
- Deacons: Rev. Mr. José I. (Pepe) Bustillo, Rev. Mr. Santos Santiago (Retired), Rev. Mr. José Serrano
- Office Manager: Barbara Vitaliano
- Faith Formation Coordinators: Gary & María Ramos
- Building Maintenance: Adonis Feliciano
Parish History
St. Jude traces its roots to 1973, when the Deltona Corporation developed Marion Oaks and Catholic families found themselves driving 15 miles to Mass. The Diocese of Orlando secured a 5.7-acre site in 1981–82, broke ground in April 1982, and celebrated the first Mass in August 1983 under Bishop Thomas J. Grady as a mission of St. Theresa in Belleview. On December 8, 1985, St. Jude was established as a parish, with Rev. Domingo Gonzalez as Administrator and, from 1987, first Pastor. The current church was built and dedicated by Bishop Norbert Dorsey in 1993, and the parish has continued to grow through the ministries of subsequent pastors Rev. Anthony Palmese, Rev. Lemier Guillaume, Rev. Barthelemy Garcon, S.M.M., and the current pastor, Rev. Raúl Valdez (since 2020).
- 1973 — Deltona develops Marion Oaks; Catholics travel ~15 miles to Mass
- 1981–82 — Diocese of Orlando obtains 5.7-acre site; Building Committee formed
- April 1982 — Groundbreaking
- August 1983 — Bishop Grady blesses the first building; mission of St. Theresa begins
- December 8, 1985 — Established as a parish; Rev. Domingo Gonzalez appointed Administrator
- 1986 — CCD Program begins
- April 1987 — Rev. Gonzalez officially named first Pastor
- 1988 — Deacon Santos Santiago ordained
- 1989 — First St. Jude Thrift Shop opens in Freeman Plaza
- 1991–93 — Parish hall and church built; dedicated by Bishop Dorsey in 1993
- 2003 — Mass schedule revised; Creole Mass added on 4th Sundays
- 2009 — Rev. Palmese retires; Rev. Lemier Guillaume becomes Administrator
- 2010 — Rev. Barthelemy Garcon, S.M.M., appointed Administrator
- 2020 — Rev. Raúl Valdez appointed Pastor
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Jude is coordinated by Gary and María Ramos and serves both children and adults. Children's Faith Formation includes grades K–6, First Eucharist and Reconciliation for grades 2–12, and Confirmation for grades 7–12. Adult Faith Formation combines online Ascension Press video studies (with 23 available, several in Spanish) and parish-hall video studies on Scripture and the faith, plus an annual Advent Mission and Lenten Mission each year. A Lenten Retreat is held at the Warren Willis Conference Center, and a bus pilgrimage to Our Lady of Leche in St. Augustine is offered as well.
- Children's Faith Formation (Grades K–6) — Wednesdays 5:30–7:00 PM
- First Eucharist & Reconciliation Classes (Grades 2–12) — Wednesdays 5:30–7:00 PM
- Confirmation Classes (Grades 7–12) — Tuesdays 5:30–7:00 PM
- RCIA / OCIA — Tuesdays 5:30–7:00 PM and Wednesdays 5:30–7:00 PM
- Adult Faith Formation — online studies and parish-hall video studies
- Annual Advent and Lenten Missions
- Lenten Retreat — bus trip to Warren Willis Conference Center
- Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Leche, St. Augustine
Adult Faith Formation — Online Studies
Through a partnership with Ascension Press, the parish website hosts 23 online video studies on a wide range of topics — from Scripture surveys to Catholic apologetics, marriage, and prayer — with several courses available in Spanish. These are designed to be taken 'from the comfort of your couch' and are a hallmark of St. Jude's outreach to homebound parishioners and busy families.
- The Prophets
- The Seven Sacraments
- The Gospel of Luke
- The Life of Jesus
- The Passion
- Ephesians
- How to Pray
- Hebrews
- Acts
- Woman at the Well
- Eucharist in Scripture
- Eucharist in Jewish History
- Jesus in the Eucharist
- Gospel of John
- Wisdom: God's Vision for Life
- Biblical Walk Through the Mass
- Fulfilled: Biblical Foundations of Catholicism
- Why We Believe
- Wives do What?!
- Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible
Sacraments
St. Jude prepares parishioners of all ages for the seven sacraments. Baptisms require attendance at a Pre-Baptismal Talk held every 4th Thursday at 6:30 PM in the parish hall with Deacon Pepe. First Eucharist and Reconciliation are prepared for in grades 2–12, and Confirmation in grades 7–12. The parish also runs RCIA / OCIA for adults seeking to become Catholic, celebrates the Anointing of the Sick on the first Tuesday of the month, and offers Marriage preparation and enrichment (e.g. 'Marriage 101').
- Baptism — Pre-Baptismal Talk with Deacon Pepe, 4th Thursday, 6:30 PM
- First Eucharist (Grades 2–12)
- Reconciliation (Grades 2–12)
- Confirmation (Grades 7–12)
- RCIA / OCIA (Becoming Catholic)
- Anointing of the Sick — 1st Tuesday, 5:00 PM
- Marriage preparation and enrichment
Parish Outreach & Charity
The parish lives out its mission to serve through a regular food pantry, an active Church Angel Ministry, and other community-building events like coffee and donuts after Sunday morning Masses. The historic St. Jude Thrift Shop has been a part of parish outreach since 1989, operating at various locations around the community over the years. Annual events such as a Lenten Retreat at the Warren Willis Conference Center and a bus pilgrimage to Our Lady of Leche in St. Augustine round out parish life.
- Food Pantry — 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, 9:00 AM–11:00 AM
- Church Angel Ministry
- Parish Thrift Shop (since 1989)
- Coffee & Donuts after Sunday 7:00, 9:00, and 11:00 AM Masses
- Lenten Retreat at Warren Willis Conference Center
- Bus Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Leche, St. Augustine
Staff, Office & Contact
The parish office is staffed Monday through Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM and on Fridays from 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon. Barbara Vitaliano serves as Office Manager; Gary and María Ramos coordinate Faith Formation; and Adonis Feliciano handles building maintenance. Bulletin submissions are sent to [email protected], and the parish can be reached by phone at 352-347-0154 (with an emergency pager at 352-502-0970) and by email at [email protected].
- Address: 443 Marion Oaks Drive, Ocala, FL 34473
- Phone: 352-347-0154
- Emergency Pager: 352-502-0970
- Office Hours: Mon–Thu 8:30 AM–4:00 PM; Fri 8:30 AM–12:00 noon
- Office Manager: Barbara Vitaliano ([email protected])
- Faith Formation: Gary & María Ramos ([email protected])
- Bulletin Submissions: [email protected]
- Building Maintenance: Adonis Feliciano
- Pastor: Rev. Raúl Valdez
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James MacLoughlin1983–1985
First leader of the St. Jude Catholic Community as a mission of St. Theresa Catholic Church (Belleview) under Bishop Thomas J. Grady.
- Rev. Domingo Gonzalez1985–1989
Appointed Administrator when St. Jude was established as a parish on December 8, 1985; officially named first Pastor in April 1987. Transferred in May 1989.
- Rev. Anthony Palmese
Third Pastor; oversaw construction and 1993 dedication of the church by Bishop Dorsey; retired in May 2009. Briefly returned as Administrator in 2010.
- Rev. Vicente Panaligan2005–2007
Parochial Vicar assisting Rev. Palmese; transferred in August 2007.
- Rev. Rodolfo Ramon2007
Appointed Parochial Vicar in August 2007; transferred effective June 1, 2009.
- Rev. Lemier Guillaume2009–2010
Parochial Administrator from June 1, 2009; established the Creole Mass on the 2nd and 4th Sundays; reassigned in 2010.
- Rev. Barthelemy Garcon, S.M.M.2010–2020
Appointed Parochial Administrator September 1, 2010; transferred to St. Andrew's in Orlando in 2020.
- Rev. Raúl Valdez2020–present
Appointed Administrator and then made Pastor in 2020.