90 years of providing hope

By Rob Herbst
The Catholic Week
Much has happened and much has changed throughout the City of St. Jude’s proud history, but “hope” has never departed the parish.
Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi celebrated Mass on Oct. 27 at St. Jude in Montgomery to recognize the parish’s 90th anniversary. The City of St. Jude has been at the forefront of championing human rights, social justice and bringing the light of Christ to those in Montgomery.
“I want the people of the Archdiocese of Mobile to know that this is a place that they can be proud of, a place to visit and celebrate uplifting and important Catholic history, a place that still has something to say to all of us today: that no one is truly ever without hope, especially if they have Jesus,” said Fr. Andrew Jones, pastor of St. Jude Parish, who also delivered the homily during the anniversary Mass.
“We exist as a parish to provide hope to those without it, and that need is still as pressing today as it was in 1934.”
Fr. Harold Purcell also had hope … and a dream. Fr. Purcell was a Passionist priest who sought to go to Alabama to provide better access to religion, education, social services and health care to African-Americans.
The dream initially took form as a St. Jude’s Medical Dispensary. Fr. Purcell’s idea was to build “a city” that would be a one-stop shop for these services. According to Fr. Jones, he pitched the idea to Archbishop Thomas J. Toolen.
“The rest is history,” Fr. Jones said.
By the time Fr. Purcell passed away in 1952, he had raised $50 million for The City of St. Jude and it had included a parish church, a social services building housing a pharmacy and medical dispensary, an integrated K-12 school, two convents housing sisters and a fully functioning hospital – the first integrated hospital in the Southeast.
The Fr. Purcell Memorial Exceptional Children’s Center was later added and still stands today, serving 48 full-time resident children with special needs.
It was named St. Jude after the patron saint of hope and impossible causes.
“(Fr. Purcell) was able to accomplish so much even in the days of extreme poverty and depression and war in our nation’s history,” Fr. Jones said. “With God, all things are possible indeed – and perhaps ingenuity and charisma don’t hurt either, both of which he had in spades.” 
The City of St. Jude also played a part in the Civil Rights movement. In 1965, it welcomed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and 2,000 participants of the Selma-to-Montgomery March. Visitors camped onsite before reaching the State Capitol.
“It is a place that Catholics can and ought to be proud of for standing up for and working for the dignity of every human person the past 90 years,” Fr. Jones said. “Many mistakes were made by Catholics and even those in authority in the Church during the tumultuous 20th century in America – however, the City of St. Jude is not one of them.”
Fr. Purcell and the parish’s African-American heritage were also celebrated during the 90th anniversary celebration. Archbishop Rodi blessed a 6 feet by 4 feet painting that includes the Montgomery skyline, City of St. Jude Parish, Jesus and Mary as African descent, Fr. Purcell, St. Monica and St. Augustine, St. Josephine Bakhita, Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman, St. Charles Llwanga, St. Jude and St. Martin de Porres.
The work was painted by Catholic artist Anthony VanArsdale of Foley and hangs on the right side of the church interior.
Fr. Jones said the inspiration behind the painting came from the central panel of the Ghent Altarpiece, a masterpiece by the Van Eyck brothers also known as “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.” In the Ghent Altarpiece panel, Jesus is depicted as a lamb and paid homage by angels and elders with the Ghent skyline in the background.
“The message to me is clear and profound – you don’t have to wait for heaven to adore the Lamb of God with the angels and saints,” Fr. Jones said. “You can do so right here in Ghent! The beauty of the Catholic faith is that Jesus is here, present, in every Catholic parish where Mass is celebrated the sacraments are present.”

For more photos from the Mass, click here: https://mobarch.org/photoalbums/city-of-st-jude-parish-90th-anniversary