Mass in honor of Saints Simon and Jude

IC photo/Laura Vallejo

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During the feast day Mass, Bishop Oscar A. Solis blesses the images, portraits and people dressed as St. Jude.

SALT LAKE CITY — On Oct. 28, Bishop Oscar A. Solis celebrated a Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in honor of the feast of Saints Simon and Jude.

Usually on this feast day, hundreds of pilgrims come to church in devotion to the Apostle Jude. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s celebration saw fewer people, although faithful Catholics from all over the Diocese of Salt Lake City arrived at the cathedral carrying images of the saint, or dressing as him.

Concelebrating the Mass were Fr. Eleazar Silva, parochial vicar of Saints Peter and Paul Parish; and Fr. Martin Diaz, rector of the cathedral.

The deacon of the Mass was Deacon Guillermo Mendez.

“We are united to give thanks to God and honor these two saints, part of the 12 of the apostles chosen by God,” said Bishop Solis at the beginning of his homily.

Although little information about the lives of St. Simon and St. Jude has come down through the ages, there is “enough inspiration so all the faithful Christians imitate and reflect their heroic Christian life,” the bishop said.

Both saints were common people, Bishop Solis said.

“St. Jude was known as Jude Thaddaeus so people wouldn’t confuse him with Judas the traitor,” the bishop explained. “He wrote an epistle telling people to continue to persevere when faced with a difficult and hard situation. He is considered the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes. People pray to him when they feel he is their last hope. … Nothing is impossible for those who trust in the Lord.”

Bishop Solis asked the faithful present at the celebration if they were ready to be a saint, and wanted to be a saint. Those present responded, “Yes.”

“It is important that we love; do you love our Lord? ... Loving him means to be his follower, his disciple,” the bishop continued. “Discipleship means sacrificing their lives for God.”

Bishop Solis prayed that the saints intercede for all throughout the hard times everyone is facing. He asked the faithful to reach out to the poor and needy, to share the Good News, to be witnesses of God by reaching their Brothers and Sisters in Christ. He also thanked everyone for being there on that day, and proceeded to bless the images, portraits and people dressed as the saint.

Fr. Silva said that it was a huge blessing that they were able to celebrate the feast day of St. Jude and St. Simon, “because in many places, due to the pandemic, this was not possible.” He thanked Bishop Solis and Fr. Diaz for hosting the celebration at the cathedral.

Many of those present look forward to the annual feast day, which has regularly been celebrated in the diocese.

“I was honored and very moved to be able to be here today,” said Florentina Villegas, a  Sacred Heart parishioner, adding that every year she enjoys celebrating St. Jude, and was sad that this year she might not be able to.

“But thanks to the bishop for welcoming us to the cathedral,” she said, as she held a St. Jude image in her arms.