We are pleased to partner with P.R.Y.D.E. Learning Centre to provide before and after school care, as well as a child care centre at St. Jude Catholic School. Call our child care partner at 905-428-9732 to learn more about their services.
About Our School
At St. Jude Catholic School, it is our mission to be an inclusive Catholic learning community that inspires every student to achieve their full potential through faith and education. We recognize our call to love and serve from our Master teacher Jesus Christ, and we are committed to creating a Catholic learning community under the protection of Mother Mary.
The Catholic Graduate Expectations are our foundation as we strive for academic excellence and the acknowledgement of those who achieve it. We recognize God as the source of all life and actively work to focus on social issues within our local and global communities.
We celebrate the diversity within our community with a collaborative approach to learning, in cooperation with parents, the Catholic faith community, and other organizations that recognize the value of our mission. Within the context of Catholic teaching and Sacramental living, our school community strives to demonstrate respect and reverence for all life, thus nurturing a safe, Christian environment for the entire school community.
Our patron saint is St. Jude, also known as St. Jude Thaddaeus, who was one of the 12 Apostles. The legend states that St. Jude was born into a Jewish family in a town in Galilee and that his father was murdered because of his outspoken devotion to Christ. He had three brothers: St. James the Less, Saint Simeon of Jerusalem, and Joses. His mother was a cousin of the Virgin Mary and his father a cousin of St. Joseph.
Ancient writers tell us that after Jesus' ascension into heaven, St. Jude preached the gospel in many countries. He taught people to be humble and meek and love God. A 14th-century writer said that St. Jude was the bridegroom at the wedding at Cana. St. Jude was the one who asked Jesus at the Last Supper why he would not manifest himself to the world after his resurrection. Very little else is known of his life.
St. Jude is often shown with a flame around his head. This represents his presence at Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles. St. Jude is traditionally depicted carrying the image of Jesus in his hand or close to his chest. Occasionally, he is represented holding an axe or club, as he was brought to death by one of these weapons. In some instances, he may be shown with a scroll or a book (the Epistle of St. Jude) or holding a carpenter's rule. St. Jude suffered martyrdom around 65 AD in Galilee with the apostle Simon, with whom he is usually connected. Sometime after his death, Saint Jude's body was brought to Rome and placed in a crypt in St. Peter's Basilica.
St. Jude Thaddeus is invoked in desperate situations because his letter found in the New Testament stresses that the faithful should persevere in difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them. For this reason, he is the patron saint of the sick and of desperate and lost causes.
The shared feast day of saints Jude and Simon is October 28.
As Catholic educators, we live according to our Father's code and to lead our students, by example, to live the basic truths of the gospel message. This is an awesome, yet inspiring challenge which we share with the parents of our young men and women.
Children learn what they live. Each day we have the opportunity to teach our students:
- to love by the way we love;
- to be generous by our generosity;
- to be passionate by our compassion; and
- to be forgiving by the way we forgive.
However, a person cannot give what he or she does not have. Unless we are living the Gospel message, we cannot lead our students to do so.
There are many hallmarks of a Catholic educator, including:
- Prayer - The challenges of our vocation, and indeed life in general, are great. To meet them we need to follow Christ's advice that we "ask the father in My name". Each Catholic educator has a duty to expose students to his or her particular style of prayer in order to assist students to recognize the value of prayer in daily life.
- Eucharist - Parish, school, and staff liturgies provide opportunities to celebrate our faith. Our example can testify to the Eucharist as a joyful source of strength and community building.
- Social Justice - This is the heart of the Christian message, that we "love one another as I have loved you". As our brother's and sister's keepers, we must be concerned about the aged, the poor, the oppressed, and any other marginalized group - both at home and abroad.
Our school colours are green and yellow.
St. Jude Catholic School opened its doors in 1989 and has been a vibrant centre of faith, learning, and community ever since. As the first school in the Durham Catholic District School Board to include an on-site childcare centre, St. Jude was designed to support the needs of families from the very beginning. Named after St. Jude, one of the Twelve Apostles and a faithful witness to the Gospel, the school is guided by a commitment to personal excellence in spiritual, academic, physical, and emotional growth. Rooted in a caring and inclusive Catholic community, St. Jude Catholic School empowers students to become lifelong learners who live their faith through service, compassion, and respect for others.
St. Jude’s Feast Day is October 28.
Our school hours are as follows:
9:00 a.m. - Entrance Bell
10:25 - 10:40 a.m. - Morning recess
11:45 - 12:45 p.m. - Lunch
2:10 - 2:25 p.m. - Afternoon recess
3:30 p.m. - Dismissal
School office hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily
Let us pray for the gift of God's spirit
As our community grows stronger.
We all belong to the family of St. Jude Catholic School.
We ask God's continued blessings
To help us grow in love for ourselves, for our friends,
for our family, and for our staff.
Amen.
St. Jude, pray for us!
Our board's School Year calendar is now available. We encourage parents and guardians to visit our school calendar webpage to learn more about activities happening at school.
We welcome your questions, comments and concerns.
68 Coles Ave
Ajax, ON L1T 3H5
Phone: 905-428-9304
Fax: 905-428-0931