About St. Jude · Pearl, Mississippi
St. Jude Catholic Church is a diverse, vibrant Catholic community of faith located in the heart of Rankin County in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area, in the city of Pearl. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Jackson and serves a bilingual (English/Spanish) congregation with multiple daily Masses, ongoing faith formation for all ages, a vibrant youth ministry (Young Apostles), a Knights of Columbus council, and a notable outreach program called Feed My Sheep that feeds the hungry at Poindexter Park and at Gateway Rescue Mission. Worship is supported by a dedicated team of liturgical ministers including altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, ushers, greeters, sacristans, and a Flower Guild and Environment Committee.
- Patron
- St. Jude (Thaddeus)
- Rector
- Father Cesar Sanchez (full diocesan listing: Reverend Cesar Sanchez-Fermin / Reverend José de Jesús Sánchez)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Jackson
Why belong here
St. Jude is a place where an English-speaking and Spanish-speaking community worship side by side, with daily Mass (Tuesday through Friday), two Sunday Masses in English and one in Spanish, weekly Eucharistic Adoration, and a healing Mass each first Friday. Parishioners grow through Adult Faith Formation, the Teen Faith Formation program built on the EQ Saints curriculum, the Young Apostles youth group (grades 7–12), and the parish's Knights of Columbus Council 8038 — and they put faith into action through the Feed My Sheep ministry that prepares and serves meals to about 100 people four times a year at Poindexter Park in Jackson and supports Gateway Rescue Mission.
Mass times at St. Jude
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (after Spanish Mass / during Adoration)
- Saturday 4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
- Sunday 8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
- Sunday 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
- By appointment (Fr. Cesar)
Adoration times
- Wednesdays 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Thursdays after the 6:30 p.m. Spanish Mass (7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.)
- First Fridays: 24-hour Adoration in the prayer chapel
Welcome to St. Jude Catholic Church
St. Jude describes itself as 'a diverse, vibrant Catholic community of faith located in the heart of Rankin County in the Jackson metropolitan area.' The parish strives to be a loving, friendly Catholic community of faith that welcomes both English- and Spanish-speaking families.
Parish History & Patron
The parish takes its name from St. Jude (Thaddeus), the apostle venerated as the patron of hopeless or difficult causes. The community preserves a Parish Prayer that was found typed on a time-stained piece of paper taped inside one of the old parish hymnals — a tangible link to earlier generations of the parish.
- Parish patron: St. Jude (Thaddeus)
- Traditional feast day: October 28
- 'Our Parish Prayer' preserved from the old parish hymnal — asking to be 'inspired by the life and example of our parish patron, St. Jude'
Our Staff
The parish is led by Father Cesar Sanchez as pastor and supported by two deacons and a lay staff for liturgy, faith formation, youth ministry, and parish administration.
- Father Cesar Sanchez — Pastor ([email protected])
- Deacon John T. McGregor ([email protected])
- Deacon Mark Bowden ([email protected])
- Mary Rose Wolf — Director of Liturgy ([email protected])
- Betsy Walter — Faith Formation Director / CCD ([email protected])
- Lauren Roberts — Bookkeeper / Youth Director ([email protected])
- Cristina Vieyra — Administrative Assistant ([email protected])
Faith Formation
Faith formation at St. Jude spans cradle to adult, with parallel tracks for children, teens, adults, and adults preparing for full communion with the Catholic Church.
Teen Faith Formation
Junior High (grades 6–8) runs on a two-year cycle: Year A covers the Bible, the seven sacraments, the Nicene Creed, and Advent/Lent topics; Year B covers prayer, the saints, and Theology of the Body. The High School program (grades 9–12) uses the EQ Saints 'Equipped for Life' four-year cycle: Encounter, Discipleship, Ambassadors, Beyond.
- Junior High curriculum: 6th–8th grade, two-year cycle
- High School curriculum: 9th–12th grade, four-year cycle (Encounter / Discipleship / Ambassadors / Beyond)
- Diocesan Protection of Children requirements
Adult Faith Formation
Adult Faith Formation meets Sunday mornings at 8:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall, with coffee and snacks provided. Recent series have included Monsignor James Shea's talk from the Eucharistic Congress and Dr. Brant Pitre's video study 'The Mass Explained.' Deacon John and Kelly McGregor have shared reflections from the Eucharistic Congress.
- Sunday morning sessions at 8:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall
- Recent series: 'The Mass Explained' by Dr. Brant Pitre (begins Sept. 22)
- Contact: [email protected]
Young Apostles Youth Group
Young Apostles is open to all 7th–12th graders at St. Jude. The group grows in faith through formation, fellowship, and service projects; a yearly highlight is the trip to One Bread, One Cup at St. Meinrad, Indiana. Form E (Diocesan Protection of Children) must be completed to attend in-person events.
- Open to grades 7–12
- Annual trip to One Bread, One Cup at St. Meinrad, Indiana
- Contact: Lauren Roberts — [email protected]
- Kickball Nights and other fellowship events
Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical life at St. Jude is supported by a wide range of lay ministries. Rhonda Bowden in the church office ([email protected] / 601-939-3181) coordinates scheduling. Training is provided for many roles.
- Altar Servers
- Art & Environment Committee (cleans and prepares the church; sets up for special seasons such as Holy Week)
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Flower Guild — coordinates fresh flowers for the liturgical year
- Greeters
- Lectors
- Ministry to the Homebound — takes Communion to homebound parishioners and to area residents of nursing homes who cannot attend Mass, including in emergency situations
- Music Ministry
- Sacristans
- Ushers
Parish Outreach — Feed My Sheep
'Just as the name implies, this ministry provides prepared meals for some of the Good Shepherd's flock.' Feed My Sheep is one of the most active outreach programs at St. Jude, partnering with outside ministries to feed the hungry and homeless in the Jackson area.
- Prepares, transports, and serves lunch to roughly 100 people at Poindexter Park in Jackson four Sundays a year — in partnership with Why Not Now Ministries
- Prepares and serves dinner at Gateway Rescue Mission's Opportunity Center during cold weather
- Packs bags of easy-to-prepare groceries and snacks for clients at the MSDH AIDS Clinic
- Assembles 'Samantha Bags' — bottled water, nonperishable snacks, and personal hygiene items distributed during Poindexter Park meals (named after a story shared by Deacon John)
- Parish food pantry (listed by Families as Allies as a Rankin County food resource at 399 Barrow Street, Pearl)
Knights of Columbus — Council 8038
St. Jude is home to Council 8038 of the Knights of Columbus, the parish's fraternal Catholic service organization for men, which supports the parish and the broader community through works of charity, faith, and service.
- Council 8038 based at St. Jude, Pearl
Sacraments
St. Jude prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, with the parish office as the first point of contact for Baptism, adult Confirmation, RCIA, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and vocations inquiries.
- Baptism — contact the parish office
- Confirmation — two-year cycle beginning in 9th grade; requires two years of Parish School of Religion and a baptismal certificate
- Reconciliation — Thursday after Spanish Mass, during Adoration, Saturday 4:15–4:45 p.m., and by appointment
- Eucharist — daily and Sunday Mass; livestreamed 9:30 a.m. Sunday Mass on Facebook
- Anointing of the Sick — monthly Healing Mass (second Friday at 10:00 a.m.) and by appointment
- Matrimony — contact Fr. Cesar at least 6 months in advance; 'St. Jude Wedding Guidelines' published on the parish website
- Holy Orders / Vocations — Fr. Cesar, Deacon John, or Deacon Mark; Diocesan Vocations Director Fr. Nick Adam, 601-969-4020
Connect & Visit
St. Jude welcomes visitors and newcomers. The parish office is reachable by phone or email, and the Sunday 9:30 a.m. Mass is livestreamed on Facebook for the homebound and those who cannot attend in person.
- Address: 399 Barrow Street, Pearl, MS 39208
- Mailing: P.O. Box 5526, Pearl, MS 39288
- Phone: 601-939-3181 | Fax: 601-939-3160
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stjudepearl.org/
- Facebook: facebook.com/stjudepearl
- Livestreamed Sunday 9:30 a.m. Mass on Facebook