About St. Jude · Cedar Rapids, Iowa
St. Jude Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, belonging to the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Located at 50 Edgewood Road NW on the city's northwest side, the parish serves a diverse community with weekend Masses in English and a monthly French Mass, weekday daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, and a robust schedule of faith formation, youth ministry, and small-group programs. The parish is also part of the Xavier Catholic Schools system and runs the Sweet Corn Festival, Vacation Bible School, Stations of the Cross, Blessing of the Animals, and other traditions that mark its parish life. Staffed by a pastor, parochial clergy, deacons, and a wide team of lay ministers, St. Jude describes itself as a place where parishioners share time and talents to build the kingdom of God.
- Established
- 1959
- Patron
- St. Jude Thaddeus
- Rector
- Father Nick March
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
St. Jude offers an unusually full sacramental life for a Cedar Rapids parish — three Sunday English Masses plus a monthly French Mass, daily Tuesday–Friday Mass, weekly Saturday confession, monthly First Friday confession, and Thursday all-day Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel. Parishioners of every age can grow in faith through Faith Formation for all ages, youth ministry, RCIA, Confirmation preparation, Vacation Bible School, and Xavier Catholic Schools, while adults gather in Lectio Divina and book-discussion small groups. A wide range of councils, commissions, and committees — Liturgical Ministry, Social Justice, Parish Life, Stewardship, Disaster Preparedness, Buildings and Grounds — give parishioners concrete ways to put faith into action.
Mass times at St. Jude
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM (Weekly)
- Friday 7:45 AM – 9:00 AM (First Friday of each month)
- Also available by appointment — contact the parish office
Adoration times
- Thursday 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM in the St. Jude Church Chapel (Holy Hour / Eucharistic Adoration — sign up for a weekly hour commitment or stop in anytime)
Parish Identity & Worship
St. Jude Catholic Church is a parish of the Archdiocese of Dubuque located at 50 Edgewood Rd. NW in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The parish gathers the faithful for weekend Masses in English and a once-monthly French Mass, daily weekday Mass, weekly Reconciliation, monthly First-Friday Confession, and all-day Thursday Eucharistic Adoration in the chapel. The parish's sacramental rhythm — three weekend Masses, daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, regular Confession, and the chapel open for prayer — gives parishioners many opportunities to encounter Christ each week.
- Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:30 PM (English)
- Sunday Masses: 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM (English), plus 2:00 PM French Mass on the 1st Sunday of each month
- Weekday Mass: Tuesday–Friday 7:00 AM (unless a funeral Mass is scheduled)
- First Friday Mass/Adoration: 7:45 AM – 9:00 AM
- Confession: Saturday 3:30–4:00 PM and First Fridays 7:45–9:00 AM, plus by appointment
- Eucharistic Adoration: Thursdays 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM in the Chapel
History
St. Jude was incorporated in the State of Iowa on September 29, 1959 as a Revised Domestic Non-Profit corporation, with its home office at 50 Edgewood Road NW, Cedar Rapids — the address the parish still occupies. By the late 1990s the parish's territory on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids had grown enough that Archbishop Jerome Hanus established a new parish, Blessed John XXIII, on September 3, 2000, carving out part of St. Jude's service area. St. Jude has continued as a thriving parish, maintaining traditions such as the Blessing of the Animals, Stations of the Cross, Easter Vigil, Sweet Corn Festival, and Vacation Bible School, and engaging in international Catholic life through pilgrimages (including a 2022 Pilgrimage to France).
- 1959: parish incorporated (Sept 29, 1959)
- 2000: territory on southwest side of Cedar Rapids spun off to form St. John XXIII Parish
- 2022: Pilgrimage to France (Oct. 17–27)
- Ongoing annual traditions: Blessing of Animals, Stations of the Cross, Easter Vigil, Sweet Corn Festival, Vacation Bible School
Clergy & Staff
St. Jude is served by Father Nick March as Pastor, alongside Father John Winkel and a deacon. A team of lay ministers coordinates the parish's sacramental preparation, faith formation, liturgy, discipleship, and business operations. The parish office is staffed Monday through Friday and can be reached at 319-390-3520.
- Father Nick March — Pastor
- Father John Winkel
- Deacon (parish deacon)
- Michelle Farrell — Pastoral Associate
- Kari Hill — Coordinator of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
- Jessica Shoger — Business Administrator
- Sean McVeigh — Pastoral Minister of Discipleship
- Erica Smith — Secretary
- Justin Roberts — Coordinator of Liturgy
- Jean Biermann — Coordinator of RCIA
- Joseph Retek — Coordinator of Confirmation
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Jude is grounded in the USCCB's vision that 'the Church's catechetical mission aims to help the faithful of all ages to grow in both human and Christian maturity, enriching the whole of life with the leaven of the Gospel.' The parish offers programs for children, youth, and adults — including Confirmation preparation, First Eucharist preparation, RCIA, and Vacation Bible School — coordinated by a dedicated Faith Formation Commission.
- Faith Formation for all ages
- Youth Ministry
- RCIA (Coordinator: Jean Biermann)
- Confirmation preparation (Coordinator: Joseph Retek)
- First Eucharist preparation
- Vacation Bible School (annual)
- Faith Formation Commission — meets 3rd Monday at 7:00 PM in the Church Conference Room (except July/December)
Xavier Catholic Schools
St. Jude Parish is part of the Xavier Catholic Schools system, which provides Catholic education across the Cedar Rapids area. The parish hosts updates on the latest systemization transition for Xavier Catholic Schools on its website.
- Parish is a member parish of Xavier Catholic Schools
- Information about the system's transition is shared on the parish website
Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical ministry at St. Jude involves a large team of lay parishioners who serve the worshipping community at Mass and beyond. The Coordinator of Liturgy (Justin Roberts) organizes Music, Eucharistic Ministers, Sacristans, Hospitality Ministers, Lectors, the Liturgical Environment committee, and Altar Servers (open to boys and girls of registered families in grade 4 through high school). Formal training is provided for liturgical ministers.
- Music Ministry (cantors, pianists, organists, instrumentalists, choir)
- Eucharistic Minister (incl. homebound visits)
- Sacristan
- Hospitality Minister
- Lector
- Liturgical Environment
- Altar Server (grades 4–high school)
Small Groups & Adult Faith
St. Jude offers small-group opportunities for parishioners to share faith together. The parish currently runs two small groups and welcomes suggestions for new ones; contact Pastoral Minister of Discipleship Sean McVeigh to get involved.
- Lectio Divina small group — bi-weekly, 2nd & 4th Thursday, 1:00 PM, Thaddeus Room; prays with the upcoming Sunday's Gospel
- Catholic book-discussion small group — bi-weekly, 1st & 3rd Thursday, 1:00 PM, Thaddeus Room (recently read 'Rescued' by Fr. John Riccardo)
- Contact: Sean McVeigh, [email protected]
Parish Life & Devotions
Beyond the regular liturgical schedule, St. Jude cultivates a rich devotional life — including all-day Thursday Adoration in the chapel (described as a 'Holy Hour'), Fasting Brothers for men, Seven for women, the annual Blessing of the Animals, Stations of the Cross, and the Easter Vigil. The Sweet Corn Festival is a signature annual fundraiser, and the parish has organized international pilgrimages.
- Thursday Holy Hour / Eucharistic Adoration (8:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Chapel)
- Fasting Brothers (men's prayer/fasting ministry)
- Seven (women's prayer ministry)
- Blessing of the Animals (annual)
- Stations of the Cross (annual)
- Easter Vigil (annual)
- St. Jude Sweet Corn Festival (annual)
- Pilgrimage to France (2022)
Councils, Commissions & Committees
Parishioners are invited to share their time and talents on a variety of councils, commissions, and committees. Each body has its own meeting schedule and is generally open to interested parishioners.
- Pastoral Council — 1st Tuesday, 7:00 PM, Church conference room (Pastor + Faith Formation rep + 12 staggered 3-year lay terms)
- Finance Council — 4th Thursday, Church conference room (6 members appointed by Pastor)
- Faith Formation Commission — 3rd Monday, 7:00 PM, Church Conference Room (skipping July/December)
- Buildings and Grounds Committee
- Social Justice Committee
- Stewardship Committee
- Parish Life Committee
- Disaster Preparedness Committee
Get Involved & Contact
New parishioners and visitors can connect to parish life through the councils, commissions, committees, and liturgical ministries described above. The parish office is open Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00 PM–4:00 PM; appointments are recommended and can be made by calling 319-390-3520.
- Address: 50 Edgewood Rd. NW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52405
- Phone: 319-390-3520
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 9:00 AM–12:00 PM, 1:00 PM–4:00 PM
- Website: http://judes.org/