During his dozen years as pastor at Shrine of St. Jude in Rockville, Father Paul Lee has overseen several projects that, taken together, have touched nearly every part of the parish property.
There was the parking lot resurfacing, replacement of the school roof, and the move of the church office from the rectory to the school building. He also had the sanctuary renovated, so that the Blessed Sacrament resides behind the altar, and large video screens were installed on each side of the altar, so that congregants and visitors could read the text of the Mass and follow along with lyrics to hymns.
Over the last year, he decided to have the church’s roof replaced, after a persistent problem with leaks that was getting worse with time. “I decided not to let the next pastor have to deal with it,” he said.
He jokingly explained to his parishioners and visitors that there would be “no more buckets on rainy days” at the church.
Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory celebrated an Aug. 18 Mass at the Shrine of St. Jude, after which he blessed the newly constructed roof. Dressed in the green vestments of Ordinary Time, Cardinal Gregory was joined by four priests and two deacons at the Sunday Mass.
In his introductory remarks at Mass, in addition to welcoming Cardinal Gregory, Father Lee thanked more than a dozen major donors by name, and he noted that the new roof is both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly, while being “wholesome,” as opposed to “holey,” making a word play.
Once the Maryland parish received approval to move forward with the new roof, the Shrine of St. Jude secured a loan for the project and signed a contract with Empire Roof, which completed the work recently.
Reflecting on the Gospel reading from St. John, Cardinal Gregory spoke about what the family table has meant to American families through the generations. He noted that the family table, regrettably in decline as a lived reality, is traditionally not only a place for the family to dine together, but it is also a place where children sometimes do their homework assignments, and where parents engage in serious talks with their children, including administering discipline (“the judgment seat,” as he called it).
At the Eucharistic table, “we’re dining on the Lord, His Body and Blood,” Cardinal Gregory said. “We learn that we are loved, and that we matter.” The Eucharist also spurs people to “serve others, including those who are poor,” he said.
Cardinal Gregory also noted that while many languages are spoken at American family tables, the Church’s teaching on the Eucharist has remained consistent through more than 2,000 years: that Jesus Christ is physically present in the Eucharist.
One needs to understand the importance of the family table to fully understand Catholic teaching on the Eucharist, according to Cardinal Gregory. When people consume the Eucharist, they receive a “living bread” that “enhances life, gives, hope, and consoles the brokenhearted,” he said, comparing it to how people’s time at the family table strengthens them and makes them feel more a part of their family.
The Mass showcased St. Jude’s racial and ethnic diversity, with multiple choirs singing in at least three languages, and intercessory prayers offered by children in six languages, including Amharic, Spanish and Tagalog.
Father Lee compared the Shrine of St. Jude’s congregation to the United Nations.
“It’s a united, joyful, and welcoming community of faith,” he said of the parish, which bills itself as “The beacon of Christ on the hill,” overlooking Veirs Mill Road.
