St. Jude Thaddeus Shrine Parish Celebrates 57th Fiesta with Ten Days of Faith and Community

The St. Jude Thaddeus Shrine Parish marked its 57th Parochial Fiesta with a ten-day celebration, running from October 19 to October 28. Guided by the theme, “Walking together in Hope: A Synodal Pilgrimage with St. Jude,” the festivities blended deep spiritual devotion with vibrant community engagement, service, and fellowship.

The spiritual core of the fiesta was the daily Novena Masses, held three times a day in both Cebuano and English. Complementing the novenas, the parish organized a Pilgrimage Catechesis and Confession series that traveled through the parish’s nine zones.

This zonal pilgrimage began on October 19, encompassing all community venues from Zone 9 to Zone 1. Each day, different zones were highlighted, allowing parishioners to participate in these spiritual activities closer to home before the main procession.

The celebration was not limited to liturgical events. The parish also hosted a variety of gatherings to strengthen community bonds:

Social Gatherings: The schedule included a Vendor’s Night (Oct. 20), a School Administrator’s Gathering (Oct. 22), a Socialization Night (Oct. 23), and a vibrant Jubilee of Youth (Oct. 26). It was a collaborative team effort to realize all the activities.

Acts of Service: On October 25, the parish embodied its theme of service by hosting a Bloodletting Service and a Medical Service for the wider community, sponsored by our partner community, Davao Doctor’s Hospital. It was successful; many of the parishioners of St. Jude came to have their check-up and received free medicines and vitamins.

The Grand Celebration: Procession and Fiesta Day
The festivities culminated in the final two days. An early morning Procession took place at 4:00 AM on Monday, October 27, setting a prayerful tone for the eve of the fiesta.

Fiesta Day, Tuesday, October 28, began bright and early with the “Diana” at 4:00 AM. A full schedule of Fiesta Masses followed, ensuring all parishioners could attend. There were also free food packs given to the parishioners, and people from all walks of life lined up for the distribution.

The entire 57th Parochial Fiesta concluded with the solemn Pontifical Mass at 5:30 PM, closing a joyous and faith-filled ten-day celebration. (Jeralyn “Babet” Adegue Palero)