About St. Jude Shrine of the West · San Diego, California
St. Jude Shrine of the West is a Catholic shrine parish in the Shelltown/Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego, California, founded in 1946 and entrusted to the Diocese of San Diego. It sits at 1129 South 38th Street (with the church building at 3785 Boston Avenue) and ministers primarily to a bilingual (Spanish/English) community. The parish is dedicated to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes, and was designated a Jubilee Shrine (with a Holy Door) by Bishop Robert W. McElroy during Pope Francis's 2015–2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. Worship is offered in Spanish at nearly every Mass, with one English Sunday Mass, weekday adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Tuesday confessions, and a weekly Tuesday-evening St. Jude Novena.
- Established
- 1946
- Patron
- St. Jude Thaddeus (Apostle, patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
Why belong here
St. Jude Shrine of the West is a long-standing bilingual Catholic community rooted in San Diego's Southcrest/Shelltown neighborhoods, where nearly every Mass is celebrated in Spanish alongside an English Sunday liturgy — making it a natural home for Latino Catholic families and English-speakers who want to worship together. The parish is named for St. Jude, patron of desperate and 'lost cause' cases, and centers its devotional life on a weekly Tuesday-evening St. Jude Novena and weekday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Families benefit from religious education, the parish-managed child-care center, and a campus that includes Bishop Maher Hall for community events. As one of only six designated Jubilee Shrines in the Diocese of San Diego, it also draws pilgrims who come to pray at its Holy Door during special Jubilee years.
Mass times at St. Jude Shrine of the West
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Adoration times
- Monday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Tuesday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Thursday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
- Friday 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
About St. Jude Shrine of the West
St. Jude Shrine of the West is a Catholic shrine parish of the Diocese of San Diego located at 1129 South 38th Street (with the church building at 3785 Boston Avenue) in the Shelltown/Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego, California. Founded in 1946, it serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking community while maintaining one English Sunday Mass. The parish is dedicated to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes, and is known for its weekly St. Jude Novena, weekday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and historic role as a Jubilee Shrine of Mercy.
- Official name: Saint Jude Shrine of the West
- Founded: 1946
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego
- Patron: St. Jude Thaddeus
- Languages: Spanish (primary) and English (one Sunday Mass)
Parish History
What is now St. Jude Shrine of the West began in 1946 when Father Joseph C. de Cristina purchased a building at the northeast corner of South 38th Street and Boston Avenue for the first Mass. The church was soon moved to the southwest corner of the intersection. Two years later, in 1948, St. Jude Academy was established with School Sisters of Notre Dame from St. Louis staffing it; classes began in repurposed World War II Navy barracks brought onto the property.
- 1946 — Father Joseph C. de Cristina founds the parish in Shelltown, San Diego.
- 1948 — St. Jude Academy opens in old Navy Quonset barracks; staffed by School Sisters of Notre Dame.
- 1954 — Father Gregory Sheridan succeeds Father de Cristina.
- 1958 — The current (permanent) church building is completed.
- 1970 — Father Jerry Sims succeeds Father Sheridan; focuses on the Spanish-speaking community.
- 1980 — Father Sims founds the parish child-care center.
- 1986 — Father Jerry Sims dies of cancer in office.
- Late 1980s/1990s — Father Edward Brockhaus, with Bishop Leo T. Maher, obtains a $700,000 Birch Foundation grant for the community center.
- 2011 — St. Jude Academy closes after 64 years.
- December 13, 2015 — Holy Door opens as a designated Jubilee Shrine for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
Jubilee Shrine and Holy Door
In 2015, Bishop Robert W. McElroy designated St. Jude as one of six Jubilee Shrines in the Diocese of San Diego for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis in Misericordiae Vultus. The parish opened its Holy Door on Sunday, December 13, 2015. During a Jubilee Year, the faithful may obtain a plenary indulgence by passing through a designated Holy Door, making confession and communion, praying for the Pope's intentions, and being free from attachment to sin. GCatholic also lists the parish as one of the Jubilee Churches in the diocese for 2016.
- Designation: Jubilee Shrine, Diocese of San Diego (2015–2016)
- Holy Door opened: Sunday, December 13, 2015
- Listed in GCatholic's Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy
Ministries and Faith Formation
In addition to its liturgical ministries, St. Jude Shrine of the West operates a Religious Education / Faith Formation program staffed by its own Religious Education Office, which coordinates preparation for the sacraments and ongoing faith formation for parish children. The parish also runs the Father Jerry Sims Child Care Center, which provides child care on the parish campus as part of its community outreach.
- Religious Education Office — [email protected] — (619) 264-4746
- Father Jerry Sims Child Care Center
- St. Jude Novena devotion (Tuesday evenings)
- Bishop Leo T. Maher Hall (community/assembly space used for parish events)
Visiting and Pilgrim Information
The church building is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The parish office is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Tuesday 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and closed Saturday and Sunday. Visitors may attend any scheduled Mass, pray in the church during opening hours, and (in designated Jubilee Years) make a pilgrimage through the parish's Holy Door.
- Church hours: Mon–Sat 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
- Parish office: M/W/Th/F 8:30 AM–12:00 PM & 2:00–5:00 PM; Tue 2:00–5:00 PM; closed Sat/Sun
- Address: 1129 S. 38th Street, San Diego, CA 92113 (mailing); 3785 Boston Avenue, San Diego, CA 92113 (church)
Contact
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Jude Shrine of the West by phone at (619) 264-2195 or by email at [email protected]. The Religious Education Office can be reached at [email protected] or (619) 264-4746.
- Parish: (619) 264-2195 — [email protected]
- Religious Education: (619) 264-4746 — [email protected]
- Website: http://stjudesd.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph C. de Cristina1946–1954
Founded the parish in 1946; purchased the original building at S. 38th & Boston; established St. Jude Academy in 1948.
- Father Gregory Sheridan1954–1970
Built the permanent church completed in 1958; constructed a new hall and planned the convent at 1127 S. 38th.
- Father Jerry Sims1970–1986
Focused on growth of the Spanish-speaking community; founded the parish child-care center in 1980; died of cancer in 1986.
- Father Edward Brockhausafter 1986
With Bishop Leo T. Maher, secured a $700,000 Birch Foundation grant to build the community center (Bishop Maher Hall) and the Father Jerry Sims Child Care Center.