About St. Jude · Christiansburg, Virginia
St. Jude Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Richmond in Christiansburg (postal address Radford), Virginia, serving the New River Valley and the Radford University community. Founded in 1967 as a separate parish from St. Mary's in Blacksburg (with Catholic mission roots going back to the 1930s), it now sits on a 17-acre site on Route 177 outside Radford, dedicated in phases in 1994 and 1999. The parish runs daily Mass, weekday adoration, OCIA (formerly RCIA) formation, religious education K–10, a youth ministry called Encounter/NRVYM, a campus ministry at Radford University, and outreach including prison ministry to the New River Valley Juvenile Detention.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- St. Jude Thaddeus (Apostle, patron of hopeless/desperate causes)
- Rector
- Rev. Cassidy Stinson
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Richmond
Why belong here
St. Jude offers a full sacramental life in the heart of the New River Valley, with daily Mass (Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at noon, Wednesday evening), Saturday Vigil, Sunday Mass with a recited Rosary beforehand, weekday Eucharistic Adoration, and confession every day of the week — an unusually rich schedule for a parish of its size. It is the Catholic hub for Radford University through a dedicated campus minister, supports families with K–10 religious education, runs the Encounter/NRVYM youth ministry (middle- and high-school), welcomes inquirers through Catholicism 101 (OCIA), and reaches beyond its walls with prison ministry to the New River Valley Juvenile Detention and various justice, peace, evangelization and fellowship committees.
Mass times at St. Jude
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
- Tuesday 11:30 AM (before noon Mass)
- Wednesday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday 11:30 AM (before noon Mass)
- Friday 8:30 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
Adoration times
- Wednesday 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (following 6:00 PM Mass)
- Thursday 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM (following noon Mass)
Parish History
Catholicism came late to the valleys of Southwest Virginia — by 1923 only a chapel in Blacksburg existed. In the 1930s the first Catholic family arrived in Radford and Father George Walter of Blacksburg began saying Mass in their home, choosing the name St. Jude because at the time a Radford church seemed 'a rather hopeless undertaking.' In 1939 Radford and Pulaski became missions of St. Mary's in Blacksburg under the Diocese of Wheeling; for many years St. Jude existed only on paper until a fund drive and the efforts of Dr. Garrett Dalton and his wife Madeline produced a real church. Father Leo Fohl, based at St. Mary's, served the mission for 20 years and on August 3, 1952 dedicated the original church on Tyler Avenue. Under Father Bill Gardner (1966–1972) St. Jude became a separate parish in 1967 and Southwest Virginia joined the Diocese of Richmond in 1974. The Tyler Avenue church, opposite Radford University, was bursting at the seams, so a 17-acre site on Route 177 was purchased and the new church was dedicated in two phases — the shell and lower level on January 16, 1994 (the coldest day of the year at minus 12°F), and the upper liturgical space on September 19, 1999. The parish now flourishes under Fr. Cassidy Stinson.
- 1930s: first Catholic family arrives in Radford; Father George Walter celebrates Mass in their home
- 1939: Radford and Pulaski become missions of St. Mary's, Blacksburg (Diocese of Wheeling)
- August 3, 1952: original Tyler Avenue church dedicated
- 1967: St. Jude becomes a separate parish
- 1974: Southwest Virginia transferred to the Diocese of Richmond
- January 16, 1994: dedication of new church shell/lower level (Bishop Walter Sullivan)
- September 19, 1999: dedication of upper liturgical space (Bishop Sullivan, Pastor Robert Judge, S.J.)
- 2002: interior columbarium added; new rectory built under Msgr. Patrick Golden
- Today: parish continues to grow under Fr. Cassidy Stinson
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation aims to deepen parishioners' contact with Jesus Christ through classroom and home-based learning. Religious Education classes meet Sundays from 9:30 to 10:45 AM for kindergarten through 10th grade. First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are customarily celebrated in 2nd grade, and Confirmation is normally received in 10th grade, with both classroom and at-home parental involvement.
- Grades K–10, Sundays 9:30–10:45 AM
- First Reconciliation & First Communion (2nd grade)
- Confirmation (10th grade)
- Seasonal formation programs offered throughout the year
- Contact: [email protected] (Taylor Hofmann, Coordinator of Faith Formation)
Catholicism 101 / OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
Catholicism 101 is a family-friendly program based on the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, formerly RCIA) for adults and children over 7 preparing to enter the Catholic Church. Meetings begin with fellowship and a shared meal, then move into presentations on Catholic doctrine, life and prayer from parish clergy and catechists, with parallel adult and children's sessions and individual mentorship with catechists.
- For unbaptized adults and children over 7 seeking baptism
- For Christians in other traditions seeking full communion with the Catholic Church
- For already-baptized Catholics needing Confirmation or First Communion
- For lifelong Catholics seeking deeper intellectual and spiritual formation
- Parents encouraged to attend with children
Encounter Youth Ministry & NRVYM
Encounter Youth Ministry is St. Jude's contribution to the New River Valley Youth Ministry (NRVYM), a cooperative program with Holy Spirit and St. Mary's parishes serving middle schoolers (6th–8th) and high schoolers (9th–12th). The goal is to meet teens where they are in faith and draw them closer to Christ through fellowship, games, small-group discussion, prayer, retreats and service.
- Heartbeat — High School Youth Group, weekly Wednesdays 7:30–9 PM (rotating among NRV parishes)
- Middle School Meetup — monthly Wednesdays 5:45 dinner, 6:00–7:30 PM program
- Service opportunities, retreats, conferences, hikes, campfires, sports and social activities
- Attend Richmond Diocese youth events including DYC and Work Camp
- Contact: [email protected] (Taylor Hofmann)
Radford University Campus Ministry
St. Jude maintains a campus ministry presence at Radford University, located directly across Tyler Avenue from the original church site. The parish's Campus Minister coordinates faith formation, sacramental preparation and pastoral care for Catholic students.
- Campus Minister: Tony Laux
- Email: [email protected]
Outreach & Pastoral Care
Beyond the parish boundaries, St. Jude coordinates outreach to those most in need, most visibly through its long-standing prison ministry at the New River Valley Juvenile Detention. The parish's Justice & Peace, Fellowship and Evangelization committees extend this mission locally.
- Prison Ministry at New River Valley Juvenile Detention
- Fellowship Committee (Chair: Sophia Raubach)
- Justice & Peace Committee (Chair: Julie Snyder)
- Evangelization Committee (Co-Chairs: Lauren Ortez & Alba Alvarez)
- Funeral Ministry with published procedures and guidelines
- Anointing of the Sick / Last Rites via the parish office and emergency line
Parish Staff & Committees
St. Jude's staff combines full-time pastoral, administrative and formation personnel with lay-led committees that animate parish life. The office is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
- Fr. Cassidy Stinson — Pastor ([email protected])
- Lauren Coulter — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
- Sheree LaCasse — Business Manager / Bookkeeper ([email protected])
- Taylor Hofmann — Coordinator of Faith Formation ([email protected])
- Tony Laux — Radford University Campus Minister ([email protected])
- Keith Weltens — Finance Council
- Sophia Raubach — Fellowship Committee
- Julie Snyder — Justice & Peace Committee
- Lauren Ortez & Alba Alvarez — Evangelization Committee Co-Chairs
St. Jude Columbarium & Cemetery
A columbarium was added inside the church under Msgr. Patrick Golden and continues to serve the parish's Catholic faithful and their families. The Diocesan directory lists the St. Jude Columbarium at 1740 Tyler Road, Christiansburg 24073, with the same parish phone line as the main office.
- St. Jude Columbarium (on-site, inside the church)
- Contact through parish office: (540) 639-5341
Visit, Contact & Directions
The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and a 24-hour emergency line is available for Last Rites and Anointing of the Sick. The current church is on a 17-acre site on Route 177, about 1.5 miles east of Interstate 81 Exit 109, overlooking the mountains of the New River Valley.
- Address: 1740 Tyler Road, Christiansburg, VA 24073
- Parish office phone: (540) 639-5341
- Emergency / Last Rites line: (540) 268-0831
- Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- From I-81: Exit 109 onto Route 177 toward Radford; church is on the right ~1.5 miles out
- Email: [email protected]
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Reverend Leo R. Fohl1947–1966
Served St. Jude as a mission from St. Mary's, Blacksburg for ~20 years; shepherded the parish through its 1952 dedication on Tyler Avenue.
- Reverend William (Bill) Gardner1966–1972
First pastor after St. Jude became a separate parish in 1967; led a period of rapid growth.
- Reverend Samuel Sacus1971–1972
- Reverend Leonard Murray1972–1973
- Right Reverend Sylvester Staud1973–1974
Served during the transition of Southwest Virginia into the Diocese of Richmond in 1974.
- Reverend James Disney1974–1979
- Reverend James Forwalk1979–1983
- Reverend Thomas (Tom) Magri1983–1995
Long, stable pastorate; grew parish to 511 members and numerous outreach projects; presided at the January 16, 1994 dedication of the new church shell.
- Reverend James Grealish1995–1998
- Reverend Robert Judge, S.J.1998–2002
Jesuit priest; presided at the September 19, 1999 dedication of the upper-level liturgical space, when the parish had 260 families.
- Reverend Monsignor Patrick Golden2002–2007
Rapid growth in membership and community involvement; oversaw addition of the interior columbarium and construction of a new rectory.
- Reverend Kenneth (Ken) Shuping2007–2012
- Reverend Jaroslaw Nowacki2012–2016
- Reverend Charles Ssebalamu2016–2022
- Reverend Cassidy Stinson2022–present (appointed Pastor Aug. 7, 2024 after serving as Administrator)
Current pastor; previously administrator of the parish.