On June 2, 1962, His Excellency Archbishop John J. Krol established St. Jude Church on a 30-acre site in Central Bucks County. The site was purchased for $38,900 and consisted of 100 chicken coops, fields of towering weeds, an old farmhouse built in 1832, and a dilapidated barn. It was an inauspicious start.
But the founding pastor, Fr. Robert A. Gregg, named the parish for St. Jude, patron of desperate cases, visualizing a regional St. Jude Shrine. The desperately dilapidated property soon grew under the saint’s patronage. The first veneration of the relic of St. Jude took place on October 26, 1962, just months after the parish was established. More than 800 people came from all over, waiting in a long line outside the tiny chapel far into the evening.
At first, Sunday Masses were offered in a building at Forest Park, a local amusement park. But within 18 months, a church building attached to a school had been constructed. Fr. Gregg wanted to build a beautiful country church that would blend in with the Bucks County landscape. He also insisted that a school be built right at the start of the parish to educate the parish children spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and physically.
The Sisters of Mercy agreed to staff the school. Construction was not completed by the beginning of September, 1963, but Fr. Gregg insisted they start on time, believing the presence of the sisters and the students would speed up the process. It worked—by the end of September, the finishing touches were made. The school and church were dedicated on December 15, 1963.
With the rapid growth in population in the area, a major expansion of the school took place in 1981. But tragedy struck the following year—the church, which Fr. Gregg had so carefully designed, burned to the ground on October 9, 1982.
Thanks to the quick action of the firefighters, the attached school was saved, but the church was completely gutted. The investigation concluded that the cause was spontaneous combustion of the wood surrounding the St. Jude Shrine, caused by the heat of the many candles.
The whole community came together to support the parishioners after the fire, and soon construction began on a new church, to be built on the highest point of the property. The new church building, housing a new Shrine to St. Jude, was dedicated on September 23, 1984.
Continuing the parish’s expansion, the St. Jude Education Center was dedicated on October 7, 2006, featuring eight additional classrooms, a library, technology lab, and gymnasium/hall. The Education Center is used by St. Jude School, PREP, CYO, and many parish ministries, and gives us a place for large social gatherings for our parish family.
During 2016 and 2017, vital upgrades were made to the building and grounds, including repairing the parking lot and replacing the HVAC system. After these important improvements, the church building was ready for major renovations to the interior and exterior in 2018 and 2019.
The restoration of the church was founded on four basic principles: welcome, reverence, prayer, and joy. These principles can be seen in every aspect of the renovations—in the warmth, light, and beauty that welcomes us into the family of God and inspires joy through adoration and prayer.
Details of our renovations and a virtual tour of our beautiful church can be found on our website:
www.stjudechalfont.org/renovations
When founded in 1962, St. Jude Parish consisted of 325 families. Today we number over 2,500 families, representing over 8,800 parishioners. Weekly novenas to St. Jude continue to this day at the Shrine.
We are thankful to God for our visionary pastors and faith-filled parishioners who have helped us become a vibrant community of disciples who “live, love, and serve in the image of Christ.”
St. Jude Pastors:
Reverend Robert A. Gregg 1962-1970
Reverend Charles A. Monaghan 1970-1977
Reverend Monsignor John V. Bartos 1977-1989
Reverend Monsignor James P. McCoy 1989-2012
Reverend Monsignor George A. Majoros 2012-2014
Reverend Lawrence F. Crehan 2014-2015
Reverend Monsignor Francis W. Beach 2015 – 2022
Reverend Anthony J. Costa 2022 -
View a slideshow of our parish history, from the dilapidated farmhouse and chicken coops to the burning of the orginal church, the new church, and our most recent renovations!
Click the slide show to see the full view of the images.
For more pictures of our renovations and a video virtual tour, visit our Renovations Page.
Renovations Page