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Call (815)729-0288 to schedule a
tour or step-up day for your child.
Why should we send our child to St. Jude Catholic School?
The aim and content of the St. Jude educational program considers not only the child’s mind and body but also, and most importantly, his/her immortal soul. To form true and honest Catholic Christians who will live in this world in such a way as to enter the happiness of heaven is the aim of Catholic parents who have the first and greatest responsibility for the education of their children. St. Jude Catholic School is committed to supporting this fundamental task of parents through a school program aimed at providing spiritual, intellectual, social and physical opportunities for students to grow and explore their gifts, talents and responsibilities of service to the wider community.
In providing a quality education, St. Jude Catholic School strives for personal and academic excellence in both its students and its faculty. Relying on the grace-filled cooperation of all, St. Jude Catholic School aims to be a school that provides for the Catholic education of the child in every aspect of his/her growth and development. Education is of the utmost importance because through education and guidance the children of today become the Catholic citizens and leaders of tomorrow
How Can We afford a Catholic School Education?
Many families desire to give their children the gift of a Catholic education but are hesitant because of their financial means. Please do not let finance hinder your family from considering St. Jude Catholic School. While acknowledging the financial responsibility of a Catholic education, tuition assistance is available for those who qualify.
Each year the Catholic Education Foundation for the Diocese of Joliet provides numerous grants for tuition assistance. Assessment of need is calculated through FACTS® and award decisions are based on yearly applications. To receive tuition assistance through the diocese or through the school, this application must be submitted by the published yearly deadline.
Below is the link to the FACTS® application. Apply now for the new school year. We hope to welcome you soon as a part of our St. Jude School community!
Click here to begin your application: https://online.factsmgt.com/signin/41PX9
Tuition Assistance
The Diocese of Joliet through the Catholic Education Foundation provides tuition assistance for families with children attending Catholic schools in the Diocese.
For more information visit: Catholic Education Foundation
For information on the Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship, please click here:
Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship
Frequently Asked Questions
Does St. Jude have a preschool?
Yes, St. Jude has half-day preschool options for 3 & 4 year old children.
Does St. Jude have a before and after-school program?
Yes, St. Jude provides before school care starting at 6:30 am each morning. The after-school care program is open until 6:00 pm each evening.
Do students attend Mass weekly?
Yes, St. Jude students attend Mass each week as well as all Holy Days of Obligation that fall during the school week. Students are also given frequent opportunities to visit the Adoration Chapel, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and pray together as a community.
Does St. Jude provide athletic opportunities for students?
Yes, St. Jude has an active and successful athletic program for students in grades 5 - 8. Sports offered are flag football, girls' volleyball, boys' and girls' basketball, co-ed volleyball and poms. Younger students may participate in a developmental basketball program.
Ten Reasons Why Catholic Education Still Matters
1. An Incarnational View of the World
Catholic School students learn that God is present and active in their lives and in the world. They learn to recognize the “footprints of God” in their daily experiences, especially in the midst of life’s challenges. They develop a sense of “sacramental awareness”. They see the signs of God’s love around them, and become instruments of God’s grace in their own neighborhoods, communities and the world. In an incarnational view of the world, there is no such thing as a secular subject as all learning helps to develop and bring to full bloom that image of God that is in each person.
2. Immersion in the Paschal Mystery
Our lives are a series of small and not so small dyings and risings. In union with the Paschal Mystery, we realize that there is redemptive power in suffering, and in the power of the cross. In it lies the answer to the mystery of all of life’s successes and failures. In the experience of the Paschal Mystery, we also realize the need for community. Like Jesus, we encounter our own Simon of Cyrenes to help us along the way. Wins and losses on the athletic field, As and Fs in class, and laughter and tears in our lives are the way we participate in Jesus' dying and rising.
3. The Value of Relationships as a Reflection of the Divine
Catholic school students learn to experience God’s grace and presence in their lives through their relationships with family,friends and teachers. The loving and supportive relationships they experience are reflections of the love and life-giving dynamic of the Trinity. As a community we celebrate our successes and achievements. We share grief and downfalls. We unite together in solidarity, and even challenge each other to become better reflections of the divine. We are made for community.
4. A Nuanced View of Scripture
Catholic school students are given the opportunity to explore the beauty and richness of Sacred Scripture seen through the lens of faith and lived out in daily practice. They experience the ongoing revelation of God in Scripture as the One who leads the Israelites through the promised land, and who redeems them through His cross and resurrection. They also come to view the human person as created in God’s image and likeness, and destined for eternal life. They learn to apply Scripture to their own lives as a tool for prayer and the true guide for virtuous living.
5. Civic Engagement
In recent research, it has been reported that private school graduates are significantly more likely to actively participate in civic activities than their public school counterparts. Catholic Schools were ranked #1 in the percentage of graduates who actively participate in civic and community activities such as voting, volunteering, letter-writing to legislators, Catholic Concerns Day, and donations to charity, not just for a tax write-off, but out of a sense of the requirements of justice.
6. Service for the Common Good
Catholic schools promote service as an essential component of their curriculum. Many Catholic schools have service programs from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Higher education programs such as the Jesuit or Dominican Volunteer Corps promote service at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Diocesan organizations such as Catholic Family Services provide resources and help to people from all walks of life. Catholic school students learn that since community is at the heart of who we are, there are no strangers, only brothers and sisters in the Lord. We have a responsibility to respond to the needs of others because we are all part of God's family.
7. Discipline as a Faith Expectation
Catholic schools promote self-discipline through clarity of moral vision that is based on the Gospel. Students are challenged to be Christ-like in word and action. They are asked to examine their choices and action in light of the Ten Commandments and the Gospel law of love. They are given a theological foundation for ethical behavior. Students are not good because they act in accord with rules and expectations. Rather, because students are good, i.e. sons and daughters of God, they are expected to act and make choices that are in keeping with this dignity.
8. The Centrality of Arts, Ritual, Drama, Music to the Life of Faith
Through Catholic education, students are exposed to the richness of the religious tradition. Music, Art, Literature, Drama and Ritual are rooted in the rich history of the Church, and find their truest glory as an expression of divine praise.
9. The Fullness of the Catholic Identity at the Heart of the Church
Catholic education has always been at the heart of the Catholic mission. Catholic education, and the students who are the product of it, have been called the “greatest work of the Church”. They have been entrusted with the fullness of faith and have been charged with the mission of evangelization. They are to go out into the world and share the gifts they have received, as doctors, lawyers, policemen, firemen, businessmen and women, teachers, priests and religious, all as Catholic school graduates. Catholic school graduates are a leaven in society, helping the broader community to be the best that it can be.
10. Personal Excellence as a Spiritual Goal
Catholic school students learn that excellence is a response to God’s blessings. Academic excellence is not a gospel value in and of itself. The Sermon on the Mount doesn’t say “Blessed are you who get all A’s.” Education must have an altruistic orientation. Students learn so as to help others, and make a difference in the world around them.
Written by: Reverend Ronald J. Nuzzi, Ph.D.
Alliance For Catholic Education
The University of Notre Dame, South Bend Indiana