If you’re in a relationship and one of you is Catholic while the other one is not, this is the ministry for you! The Sant’Angelo Ministry was started and is run by our Director of Religious Education, Marty Smith and his wife Ivonne. Marty is a convert to the faith and spent a number of years attending Mass as a non-Catholic with his wife Ivonne.
In Rome, while there are many bridges that cross the Tiber, there’s one particular bridge that has a special significance. If you’re crossing the Tiber River toward Castel Sant’Angelo, you’re walking on history. Emperor Hadrian built this 1,200 year old bridge. It created a direct route from the centro storico of Rome to his mausoleum, which later became the Castel Sant’Angelo. The bridge features five main arches and is lined with travertine. During the Middle Ages, the bridge became a major route for pilgrims heading to St. Peter’s Basilica.
It was originally built in 134 AD and was called the Bridge of Hadrian. But its name changed in 1669. At the ripe old age of 71, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned by Pope Clement IX to renovate the pilgrimage bridge. Bernini was the greatest sculptor of the Baroque. That period was characterized by exuberance, excess, movement, intensity, and formal glamor. Bernini was the creative force behind the transformation of the Ponte Sant’Angelo, designing ten towering angels to line the bridge’s balustrades. Each angel holds a symbol of Christ’s Passion, turning the bridge into a powerful visual story of faith.
The angels tell the story of Christ’s passion chronologically, beginning on the right hand side of the southern end o the bridge and zigzagging toward Castel Sant’Angelo.
Though the angels steal the show today, the bridge itself is an ancient masterpiece. The three central arches are original Roman construction (2,000 years old), a testament to the engineering brilliance of the ancient world. After all, the Romans knew how to build things to last! In true Baroque fashion, Bernini’s angels accompany you on your journey across the bridge. (source)
Our Sant’Angelo Ministry at St. Jude serves a similar purpose. We recognize that many of our Catholic parishioners have non-Catholic spouses or significant others and those spouses/sig-ots faithfully accompany their Catholic spouses/sig-ots at Mass. If you are one of those non-Catholics, THANK YOU! Your presence is valued and we welcome you as part of our St. Jude parish family.
The Sant’Angelo Ministry provides a way for those in mixed marriages/relationships to connect and have social gatherings with others in similar relationships. We provide a bridge between the Catholic side and the non-Catholic side of the river. This is a no pressure ministry. We’re not here to “make you Catholic” (but we can answer questions if you have them). We’re simply here to make you feel welcomed and part of the parish family. May God’s Holy Angels accompany all of us on our journeys!
If you’d like to connect and meet others in similar situations at St. Jude, please fill out this form and Marty will contact you.