St. Jude celebrating 75 years as parish

St. Jude Parish, 590 Poplar St. in Elyria, will honor its 75th anniversary Oct. 14 after a year-long celebration with its community.

Within the past year, staff have researched the church’s history, published a new directory and challenged parishioners to perform 75 Acts of Kindness in the community, according to Father Frank Kosem, pastor.

Kosem is the parish’s fourth pastor since 1985.

Celebrate a parish currently serving about 1,800 families and a grade school with 494 students enrolled, is wonderful, he said.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our accomplishments made in the last 75 years by past and current parishioners,” Kosem said.

Parish members and volunteers strive to pass on the church’s rich heritage and tradition to the next generation, he said.

Youngsters recently have celebrated St. Jude’s anniversary by interviewing parents or family members to see what the parish was like years ago.

“They are getting into it,” Kosem said.

St. Jude’s anniversary is notable to its community because of the previous and current members who support the church and have helped it grow, he said.

“We are very grateful for many that have come before us, and have made St. Jude possible,” Kosem said. “Hopefully, we continue to live it on into the next generation.”

The historic occasion’s celebration will conclude with two separate events during October.

A formal dinner will take place Oct. 13 attended by over 250 current and past parishioners at Lorain County Community College, 1005 N. Abbe Road, where inaugural Pillar of Hope and Legacy Awards will be given out.

The St. Jude Pillar of Hope Award recognizes personal commitment to promoting hospitality and compassion through active involvement in the St. Jude community, according to a news release.

These recipients have modeled the faith and brought hope to others through their participation in the sacramental life of the parish and their commitment to humble service, the release said.

Recipients of this year’s Pillar of Hope Award are Bill and Jean Koch, Marty and Pearl Lisowski and Marcia Pichola.

The St. Jude Legacy Award recognizes a lifetime commitment to the parish as well as a dedication to Catholic values, servant leadership and living a faith-filled life which has left a legacy that is the foundation of the faith community, the release said.

Recipients of this year’s Legacy Award are: Jackie Cannarella, Ninabelle Osborne, Len and Peg Reichlin, Bernie and Virginia Schlather, Fran Schuster and Vic and Karen Turk.

Then, Bishop Nelson Perez of the Diocese of Cleveland will celebrate St. Jude’s during a Mass at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 20.

Immediately following the Mass, will be a cake cutting ceremony at the church’s Carrabine Hall with Perez followed by an open house in St. Jude School.

The open house will feature displays and videos showcasing the 75-year history.