On Dec. 8, Bishop Barry C. Knestout spent the Second Sunday of Advent just south of Lake Anna. But he wasn’t on vacation – he was at St. Jude, Mineral, celebrating the parish’s 50th anniversary.
“[St. Jude] is a loving community,” said Father Peter Calixtus Barfi, pastor of St. Jude and its mission parish of Immaculate Conception, Buckner. Known as “Father Cal” in the community, he has been there since July 2023, following the retirement of former pastor Father Michael Duffy.
“The parishioners are very proud of [St. Jude],” said Father Duffy, who served at the parish for 17 years.
Father Cal and Father Duffy concelebrated Mass with Bishop Knestout, as did Dominican Father Walter Wagner, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlottesville, and dean of Deanery 10. Deacon Alfonso Benet and Deacon Tom Fursman, who both serve at St. Jude and Immaculate Conception, assisted at Mass, as did Deacon Liem Do, who serves at Church of the Vietnamese Martyrs, Richmond.
After Mass, a huge spread featuring meat, cheese, cornbread, and cookies, plus lemonade and sweet tea, kept most of the packed crowd around for another hour at least.
Alona Wiedel, who has been at St. Jude since its founding 50 years ago, said the large community gathering was typical for the parish.
“Everybody seems to get together and make things work,” Wiedel said.
Volunteerism and resilience
In its 50 years, St. Jude has faced its share of challenges. In September 2014, the parish demonstrated its strong community character by coming together after a devastating fire that burned down the parish hall.
It wasn’t long before the building was restored, thanks to the time, talent, and donations of parishioners.
“The people were very generous in both congregations,” said Father Duffy. “Volunteerism is very strong there.” He also used another word to describe the parish: “resilient.”
At 105 years old, St. Jude parishioner Becky Thompson knows about resilience. She lived on her own until she was 101, and was a longtime parishioner of Holy Trinity, Norfolk. Coincidentally, that’s when she met Father Duffy – shortly after he was ordained in 1976.
“I’ve kept in contact with him all these years,” said Thompson. “I say that I trained him good.”
Thompson celebrated her 105th birthday the previous day, Dec. 7, and got a birthday blessing from the bishop at the end of Mass.
“Becky’s mind is as clear as a bell,” said Father Duffy. “She told me, ‘Father, when I die, you’re going to have to preach at my funeral.’ I told her, ‘Honey, at the rate you’re going, you’re going to have to preach at mine.’”
When Father Cal arrived, Thompson said it was a “big change for the parish,” but they quickly warmed up to him, too.
“Father Cal is very different from Father Duffy, but they’re both awesome in different ways,” said Bobbie Dorr, who is vice-chair of the parish council. “Father Cal is very personable. I love working with him.”
Father Cal says he has felt the warm embrace of the community.
“They volunteer for anything. Whenever you call on them, they are ready to help,” he said. “They have made this a home for me.”
Close-knit community
For Ursula Canada, who was at St. Jude for 32 years before moving with her husband to Northern Virginia, the anniversary weekend was something of a homecoming.
“My old friends keep spotting me, and they’ve got both arms coming out for a hug,” she said.
Canada and her husband built a house on Lake Anna, where their grandchildren learned to swim and waterski.
“A lot of us were weekenders while we were working,” she said. “A lot of people live on the lake. So, you have a whole mix of different people and different backgrounds.”
Dorr said that the community is open not just to one another, but to the rest of Louisa County, and to whomever happens to walk through the door.
“We have our fish fries during Lent, and that’s big for this place,” she said. “We have 500 people on the average. No restaurant in town can get that. We’ve got Methodists that come, and even some Southern Baptists.”
Dorr’s husband was in the military, so they moved often throughout his career. But St. Jude is the parish where they eventually made their home.
“It’s one of the best parishes I’ve ever been at, and we moved 17 times,” said Dorr.
Matthew Tyson, who has been at St. Jude since 2005, said he was “speechless” when asked to describe what makes St. Jude special. But he wasn’t speechless for long.
“The community. The spirit of giving. The fellowship. The participation,” he said. “It’s unmatched, at least as far as my 55 years of being a Catholic.”
Look to the past and future
When Canada was at St. Jude, there were 300 registered families. Today, according to the parish website, there are 516. So, the congregation is growing – but Canada, who goes to a parish in Northern Virginia with over 10,000 parishioners, still feels that St. Jude has that tight-knit community feeling.
“People know each other here,” she said.
In his homily, Bishop Knestout noted that the sacramental records at St. Jude demonstrate a positive trend.
“Baptisms, first Communions, and confirmations far outnumber funerals,” said the bishop. “That’s a good spot to be.”
But in looking to the future, Bishop Knestout also called on the parish to honor the past, and those who paved the way for 50 years of resilience and growth.
“Many of the first parishioners from when this parish was established have passed from this life,” he said. “Others have built things for us; others have provided an environment where we might be able to gather.”
Ultimately, though, it is God who has done all these things, said the bishop. Though the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception was celebrated the following day, Dec. 9, due to the overlap with the Second Sunday of Advent, the bishop still took time to focus on a line from the Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise from the Visitation.
“We remember Our Lady’s words: ‘God has done great things for me,’” said the bishop.