HISTORY
HISTORY OF THE PARISH OF ST JUDE.
As early as 1974, it could be seen by Father Walsh, parish priest of St. John the Evangelist, East Frankston, that the Langwarrin area of St. John’s parish was growing rapidly and needed to be developed as a separate community.
The first Mass in Langwarrin was held on February 14th 1976 at St. Thomas’ Anglican Church.
The building of the Parish Centre was started in July 1977 and completed on 23rd December, just in time to celebrate Mass on Christmas Eve.
Everyone was delighted with the news, in late 1977, that the Sisters of the Faithful Companions of Jesus (FCJ) were to send a Frontier group of nuns to Langwarrin to set up a school.
St Jude’s School commenced in February 1978, with a total enrolment of 104 children.
On 31st May 1978, St Jude’s Parish Centre and School were officially opened and blessed by Bishop John Kelly. During this year the convent was built. When the FCJs left the parish, the convent became the priest’s residence. With the purchase of a new residence, now off-site, it has since become the Parish Office.
The Parish of St. Jude was officially established on 28th October 1982, with Fr. Lee Sciarrotta SM as our first parish priest.
Fr. Charles McBride became parish priest in 1987, he and the parish committees at that time, had a dream, the vision and the will, to embark on the building of our own Church, which was opened in 1993 by the then Archbishop of Melbourne, The Most Reverend T. F. Little.
Fr. Tony Ireland was the parish priest from 1995 – 2002.
Fr. John Dowling was the parish priest from 2002 – 2004.
Fr. Robert (Bob) Wood, was the parish priest from 2004 - 2014.
Current Priest is Fr Martin Adichilamackal 2014
During 2007, the parish celebrated its 25th Anniversary and as part of the celebrations the sanctuary of the Church was renovated. New sanctuary furniture and art work were commissioned, including a strikingly beautiful ‘resurrection crucifix’. Local rock was incorporated in the new altar and lectern. Two magnificent stainless steel sculptures of St Jude and Mary, Help of Christians (patron of Australia) are located in the Church grounds.
When St. Jude’s was created officially as a parish in 1982, it was given a mission – to establish itself as a total community – a people entirely committed to the Gospel in all its aspects.
