Father Frank’s Monthly Message

Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C. 

Dear St. Jude Shrine Family,

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart, yet trusting in the Lord’s resurrection, that the Pallottines of the Immaculate Conception Province and St. Jude Shrine announce the death of the Very Rev. Peter T. Sticco, S.A.C.

While we mourn this great loss, we place our trust in the mercy of God, whom Father Peter served so generously and well. We pray that the Lord, who called him to religious life as a Pallottine and a priest, will now welcome him to the eternal banquet of heaven. May this faithful religious, priest, missionary, shepherd, and friend be counted among the saints. He will be missed by all of us.

Please know that I will continue Father Peter’s legacy of serving St. Jude Shrine and our Pallottine missions around the world with the same faith, hope, and love that Father Peter selflessly shared with people in need. You can always count on me to pray for you, your family, and your special intentions and to ask St. Jude for his intercession on your behalf. Just like Father Peter, I will be here to pray for all of your needs.

As another year begins, I am humbled to learn of the generosity of the St. Jude Shrine donors. With the help of donors like you, St. Jude Shrine has been blessed to help thousands of people this past year. With your help, we were able to care for so many that turned to us in need: providing shelter, food, healthcare and clean water to people in 54 countries around the world - and right here at home in the United States.

  • Each and every day, Pallottine Priests, Brothers and Sisters care for abandoned orphans around the world in countries such as Peru and India.
  • With no clear end to the war in Ukraine, our priests in Poland continue to house Ukrainian refugees by the hundreds.
  • Pallottine Priests in East Africa continue to create a safe environment for children with disabilities and vulnerable adults in our Faraja Pallotti Rehabilitation Centre.
  • Displaced people in the DR Congo receive shelter, food and clothing while seminarians in Mozambique are supported as they complete their studies.
  • Our Pallottine Priests, Brothers and Sisters work day and night to bring the hope of St. Jude to those who are lost and suffering. Together with you, we reach out with tangible aid and spiritual healing to all those who feel alone and without hope – the abused, the homeless, the impoverished, and the infirm. Without your generous support, my fellow Pallottines and I wouldn’t be available for them.

There were so many needy people…But, through our Lord’s grace, your gifts always arrived just in time.

I confess, as the world continues to be in turmoil with no signs of waning, I am quite concerned that we are beginning the New Year with significantly less funds than in the past. So, I humbly ask, if you can … please consider sending one more year- end gift. Any gift, no matter how big or how small, makes a difference to those that turn to us in need.

As a friend of St Jude, I know you sincerely care about our Mission and ministries and are committed to carrying on the legacy of Father Peter. Please know that any gift you can send will be a help and much appreciated by me and by all the needy people we serve.

I thank you for your continued trust in St. Jude and St. Jude Shrine. May God continue to bless you in the new year!

 

Yours in Christ,    

Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C.
Novena Director

P.S. Please remember to write your special needs and petitions on the back of the offering slip so our Pallottine priests, brothers and I can remember you in our daily Masses and prayers. I look forward to learning more about all of you, and may the memory of Father Peter live eternally in all of us!