Thank you for supporting St. Jude Thaddeus’ “Homecoming”. It was a tremendous success. About 400 people attended St. Thaddeus Church on Sunday, October 30, 2016. Family and community members gathered together to honor St. Jude Thaddeus (Patron Saint of Hope and Impossible Causes) and the Parish. The response was an indication of St. Thaddeus Church’s deep roots in the community. People reminisced about the importance of the St. Thaddeus Parish Community, during the special historical presentation. Laughter and applause happened throughout the overview. It brought back memories and revealed the challenges that members encountered when building the Parish. The Archdiocese of Chicago required five surveys to be completed before granting permission. Afterwards, one attendee recounted how her father, a Pullman Porter, contributed his earnings and volunteered as a bricklayer for the church. People reported that the history was uplifting and insightful. The area of Lilydale (a neighborhood of Roseland) has been settled by African- Americans since 1911. St. Thaddeus Church is the Catholic presence in the area. While African-Americans were the majority of its members, Chinese, Japanese, Cuban, Caucasian and Mexican members also played a part in our families and parish. The church was full of energy as people recognized St. Thaddeus as a “gem” in our community. A local news station shot footage of the mass. About 200 members participated in a group photo. Each family was presented with a prayer card and statue of St. Jude Thaddeus. After mass, 400 people gathered together to fellowship in the church basement at the reception. The response to our homecoming is one measure of the importance of our parish in the community. St. Thaddeus Church Matters!