Celebrating Our Patron Saint: St. Jude the Apostle

This Sunday, we celebrate the feast of our patron, St. Jude, apostle of Christ. In Christian tradition, patronal feasts honor the saint to whom a church or community is dedicated. These celebrations date back to the early Church, when the faithful commemorated the lives and martyrdom of saints, often at their tombs. As churches were later built in honor of these saints, annual feasts emerged and grew in significance, especially after the legalization of Christianity in the 4th century. By the Middle Ages, patronal feasts had become major religious and social events. Although some traditions were suppressed during the Reformation due to concerns such as saint veneration, many have since been revived and remain an important part of Christian life, especially in Catholic, Orthodox, and High Church Anglican communities.

At St. Jude’s, we mark this special day in the life of our parish with a celebration of word, sacrament, and music. At the 10:30 Eucharist, the Gloria Singers and St. Jude’s Youth Chorus will offer music by contemporary composers Margaret Rizza and Robert Vandervliet. Rizza’s Mass of the Bread of Life has become a beloved part of our worship, known for its flowing accompaniment and meditative beauty. Vandervliet’s Beautiful Savior is a new addition to our repertoire; a fresh arrangement of the well-loved hymn also known as Fairest Lord Jesus.

The hymn’s origins trace back to 17th-century Germany, where the original text, Schönster Herr Jesu, first appeared. It was later paired with the familiar Silesian folk melody “St. Elizabeth,” a name given after Franz Liszt use of it in his Crusader’s March from the oratorio The Legend of St. Elizabeth (1862).

Later that day, our Evensong service will continue the patronal celebration, featuring a “who’s who” of Anglican composers. The anthem What Are These That Glow from Afar? by Alan Gray will receive its first performance by our Evensong Choir. Gray, a distinguished English organist and composer, is best remembered for his long service at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was organist and conductor of the Cambridge University Musical Society from 1893 to 1930.

Composed in 1928, What Are These That Glow from Afar? sets a text by Christina Rossetti, often titled Martyr’s Song. The words evoke radiant imagery of saints and heavenly glory. The work is especially poignant, as Gray composed it in memory of his two sons, Maurice and Edward, who were both tragically killed during World War I.

Sebastian Moreno
Director of Music