Capital Campaign
Dear beloved parish family,
With deep gratitude for your presence and your prayers, I write to you today with joyful hope. St. Jude Parish has been a spiritual home for thousands, welcoming hearts from many cultures, languages, and generations. We have grown together in faith, in service, and in love. Now, we stand at a new threshold: the opportunity to build a church that refl ects the vibrant life of our community and prepares us for the future.
Our current facilities have served us well, but they can no longer meet the needs of our expanding ministries, liturgical celebrations, and outreach programs. We dream of a sacred space that is accessible, welcoming, and worthy of the worship we offer to God, a place where families can gather, youth can grow, and the beauty of our multicultural parish can shine.
This is why we are launching our Capital Campaign: “Building Together with Hope.” With your support, we will build a new church that honors our past, serves our present, and inspires generations to come.
I invite you to be part of this holy endeavor. Your prayers, your generosity, and your voice matter. Together, we will raise not only walls, but hope. We will build not just a building, but a legacy of faith.
May St. Jude, our patron of impossible causes, intercede for us as we take this bold step forward. And may Christ, our cornerstone, guide every brick we lay.
With love and blessings,
Fr. Jiobani Batista
Pastor, St. Jude Parish
St. Jude’s Vision
St. Jude Parish is a spiritual home for thousands of Hispanic-American families in Sarasota, a place where faith, culture, and community converge. Our vision is to build a new church that refl ects the vitality of our people, the dignity of our worship, and the hope we carry into the future.
Our Mission
• Welcoming all with open arms and multilingual liturgies (English, Spanish, Portuguese).
• Forming disciples through catechesis, youth ministry, and adult education.
• Serving the poor and marginalized through outreach and advocacy.
• Fostering unity among Hispanic and multicultural communities
Why We Must Build
• Overcrowded worship spaces: Mass attendance has surged, especially in Spanish.
• Limited classrooms and meeting areas: Faith formation programs for children, youth, and adults are constrained by space, as well as large group meetings and retreats.
• Inadequate infrastructure: This building was intended to be a multipurpose space and a hall for large group gatherings. Fr. Celestino envisioned building a church in the future, and his dream is becoming a reality.
• Parking and safety concerns: Our campus struggles to accommodate vehicles and ensure safe pedestrian flow.
The Opportunity
• Provide a central, sacred space for worship, sacraments, and community gatherings.
• Expand our capacity for education, pastoral care, and social services.
• Reflect the beauty and dignity of our multicultural identity.
• Serve as a regional center for Hispanic ministry and multicultural activities.
Campaign Goals & Financial Plan
A Vision for the Future
In 2006, St. Jude Catholic Church was blessed with a temporary place of worship, a humble home that has faithfully served our growing community. From the beginning, we understood this was only the first step in God’s greater plan for our parish. In 2023, the Diocese of Venice approved the construction of a permanent church, a sacred space where we can continue to deepen our faith, celebrate the sacraments, and strengthen our parish family. The new church will be built next to the rectory, on the adjoining land. The current church will continue to serve as the Parish Hall and the Hispanic -American Center, providing ongoing support for our activities and ministries.
To begin this exciting new chapter, we are launching the Building Together With Hope Capital Campaign, a 3-year effort to raise $2 million.
Our challenge goal of $3 million will allow us to make an even greater impact and reduce our long-term financial burden.
With faith, unity, and generosity, we will bring this vision to life, not just in stone and wood, but in lasting witness to God’s presence among us for generations to come.
