St. Jude Chapel

We are raising money to repair the skylight window and the stained glass over the altar because of a bullet that hit overnight July 31, 2024 to August 1, 2024. We would like to repair it as quick as possible. The estimated cost to repair just the window and the stained glass is around $16,000. Your generosity is much appreciated. As you recall, we replaced all the skylight windows with new windows, repaired the stained glass over the altar and upgraded to LED lighting back in April of 2022. That project lasted about three and a half months. 

We would also like to repair one additional stained glass window that faces Main Street that has a hole in it. Estimated cost to repair this section is around $4,000.

Your gifts from last year's North Texas Giving Day helped us with our pew modification and automated door project. We took sections out of the pews to accommodate seating for our guests dependent on wheelchairs and walkers or those families with strollers. We also outfitted two sets of our door with automatic entry, again to assist wheelchairs, walkers and strollers. It also has proven beneficial to our senior guests who might not have the strength to open the heavy doors. Thank you for making this possible. 

We have several other projects that we would like to address as part of our Project 55+ initiative. We will take some time to raise more funds before tackling any of these (with the exception of the Main St. stained glass and the Skylight window and stained glass): 

• Our Pews – our pews need repair. There are several that show signs of wear and tear with rotting, lose or broken kneelers and other parts that need repair. 
• Acoustical Ceiling Spray and one Stained-Glass Window Repair – there are sections of the ceiling inside the chapel and inside our lobby that are broken or separating from its base. One of the Dalla de verre sections of our stained-glass window needs repair. 
• Lighting of the Mosaic (Exterior), Sign and Cross – in 2017, the interior and exterior mosaics were repaired. Since the exterior mosaic is such a unique aspect of the chapel and efforts were made to restore and repair it, we have decided that the outdated lighting needs to be upgraded. Currently the type of light fixtures used create shadows that project onto the mosaic in the evening. We would use funds to upgrade the lighting and upgrade the lighting on the white curved wall facing Main Street to complement the mosaic lighting upgrade. 
  • The St. Jude Chapel sign will need to be removed as it is not original to the design of the chapel.  
  • The Cross will also be cleaned, repaired, and given a paint treatment that will complement the Mosaic. 
• The Lobby Millwork – We are planning to update the fixtures in the lobby to be more modern while solving the problem of providing display opportunities as well as storage room. 
• Altar Marble and Railing – The railing over the years has become extremely loose and needs repair. There are also sections in the marble railing and altar that were repaired poorly. We plan to have a marble expert look at both to get an assessment and make the repairs. 

Thank you for your consideration, support, and ongoing generosity. 

 “The good we do lives on after us and it must give you [Mr. Hughes] much satisfaction and pleasure to have realized a long held dreame [SIC] at last.” John Kebrle to Monsignor Arthur Hughes May 21, 1968