OUR HISTORY

ABOUT OUR PARISH

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

By the early 1970s, the rural community of Redmond began sprouting housing developments and retail shops. Catholics, then traveling to Kirkland, Issaquah, Bellevue, and Bothell, began planning with the Archdiocese to create a new parish here. The Archdiocese had previously purchased our present site waiting the day when the Catholic population would support a Redmond faith community. In 1977 a group of four Redmond Catholics - Jim Daily, Florence Favollita, Gert Pitman, and Ed Cade - met with Archdiocesan Building Commission and Archbishop Hunthausen to let him know that day had arrived, and he was very encouraging. Fr. Jerry Lovett was appointed the first pastor and remained pastor for 25 years. A guild which had been attached to Holy Family Parish in Kirkland was named St. Jude. When a vote was taken to suggest a name, this offering received the most support.

The first Mass was celebrated in the cafeteria of Redmond Middle School on September 16, 1978, 5:00 pm. About 250 people attended that first liturgy and roughly 1000 people from just over 300 families came together for Eucharist at the three celebrations that first weekend.

Ernest fundraising began in 1979 and groundbreaking in 1980. On October 25, 1981, the new church and altar were dedicated to the service of the Lord for all time by Archbishop Hunthhausen and Abbot Adrian from St. Martin's Abbey. 1981 also saw the beginning of one of the customs that continue to mark the character of St. Jude Catholic Church. In Advent, a "Giving Tree" helped spread joy to many in the Greater Seattle area.

Ministries, services, and organizations grew up over the years. St. Jude became noted for its spirit and vitality. The Redmond community came to deeply value the contributions of St. Jude because the parish modeled service and care for those in need. Parish titles to local, national, and international service organizations have long been and remains a parish priority.

GROWING THROUGH CHANGE

Microsoft mushroomed and built its new campus in Redmond. Housing, retail, and city government scrambled to keep pace with the incredible growth of the area. As demand increased for the use of parish facilities, the "Multi-purpose" Building, now named “Lovett Hall” was added in 1986 and 2003 marked renovations in the church including the narthex and new Eucharistic Chapel.

Fr. Dave Rogerson was appointed pastor, July 2004. St. Jude, with Fr. Dave's encouragement, continued its history of generosity and hosted Tent City in 2007. St. Jude Catholic Church went on to host Tent City three more times between 2007-2013. Fr. Dave created an annual Display of Nativities during the Christmas to Epiphany season which filled the narthex with hundreds of unique nativities from many cultures around the world.

LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

July 2013, brought Fr. Jim Johnson to lead our parish. His enthusiasm for worship and liturgy alongside a commitment to reach out to families with young children while continuing the many good ministries of the parish mark his beginnings at St. Jude. He invites you to be an active part of a parish with a rich past and a bright future in service of the Gospel mission and a life-giving relationship with Jesus.

ST. JUDE - PATRON SAINT OF LOST CAUSES

The story here at St. Jude is that the original families never thought they would be able to build a church in Redmond. They thought this was a "lost cause", hence, church named for St. Jude.