“A tree branch bell tower?” you might ask. Indeed, that’s how the story of Paróquia São Judas Tadeu begins. In 1940, São Paulo was booming. The city needed more churches, and Paróquia São Judas Tadeu, decreed into existence by Archbishop Dom José Gaspar de A. Fonseca e Silva, answered that call. Twenty-four other parishes were also established around the same time. For Paróquia São Judas Tadeu, a humble rented hall on Avenida Felício Fagundes served as the first chapel. Masses were held, sacraments performed, and a makeshift bell, hung from a tree branch, called the faithful to worship. This nascent parish was entrusted to the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Dehonians). Father João Buescher took the reins as the first parish priest.
Father Buescher, a man of action, quickly secured land and, with the community’s help, built the first, albeit temporary, church. This structure replaced the rented hall chapel. The following year, he began construction on a permanent church. This church, inaugurated in April 1944, is now known as the “Old Church.” At the time, St. Jude was relatively unknown. Father Buescher took it upon himself to introduce the saint to the community. He distributed pamphlets with St. Jude’s image and prayer. He personally handed them out at bus stops, on trams, in Praça da Sé, and during visits to families in the city center. While soliciting help for the church’s construction, he simultaneously spread devotion to the patron saint.
Even a proper image of St. Jude was lacking. Father Buescher commissioned a wooden statue, but the sculptor fell ill. With the feast day approaching, a plaster statue was cast instead. This plaster image became the official representation at the Jabaquara church. Paróquia São Judas Tadeu continued to grow. The increasing number of devotees necessitated a new church. In January 1963, priests, parishioners, and devotees started constructing what is now known as the “New Church.” This modern structure boasts an ample, functional design. Inside, a circular form is inscribed within a square, topped by a 22-meter cupola. By the parish’s 40th anniversary in 1980, the New Church was complete with sound systems, fresh paint, and lighting.
The architecture of the new church, with its clean lines, draws the eye to the altar, the heart of the church. Around this altar, the community gathers, like St. Jude with his fellow disciples, to celebrate Jesus Christ. This space allows pilgrims, devotees, and parishioners to experience God and communion with each other through the Eucharist. Paróquia São Judas Tadeu has come a long way from its humble beginnings. From a simple rented hall and a tree branch bell, it grew into a beloved sanctuary, a testament to the devotion of its community and the tireless work of Father Buescher.