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About ssj
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On behalf of the Most Rev. John P. Dolan, Bishop of Phoenix, welcome to the website for the Cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix! It’s our hope and prayer that you’ll find this internet outreach helpful in bringing you closer to the Lord Jesus and the life of His Church.
The year was 1954 when Fr. Paul Smith welcomed five religious sisters to help him found a new Parish and School. Those brave women and Fr. Smith had traded the green hills of Ireland for the sunbaked gravel of Arizona. The city of Phoenix was under the Diocese of Tucson at that time and its population was about 322,000 – less than 7% of what it is today!
As the city expanded through the 1950s and early 1960s, the need for a larger Parish Church grew rapidly. We outgrew the original church – what is now Smith Hall. In December 1966, the current Church was dedicated for the SSJ Parish. Only three years later, Ss. Simon & Jude Parish was elevated to the status of Cathedral as the new Diocese of Phoenix was established on December 2nd, 1969.
SS. Simon & Jude has welcomed visiting dignitaries (governors of Arizona), celebrated solemn funerals (Bishop Rausch, May 24, 1981), and was graced by the visit of Pope Saint John Paul II on September 14th, 1987. While the walls still glowed from one saintly visit, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, better known simply as “Mother Teresa,” visited the Cathedral in May 1989 and gave an address here as she personally established the still active community of Missionaries of Charity in inner-city Phoenix.
We have weathered the winds of change and the ongoing growth of our city, providing spiritual nourishment and familiar shelter without fail. This has only been possible because of the faithful and generous support of many, many priests, religious, and lay faithful – such as yourself! Welcome home. Let’s keep it going!
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What is a cathedral
The word Cathedral derives from the Greek word kathedra, meaning “chair.” The Chair of the diocesan bishop is the seat from which he guides the life of the Church in a particular geographical region known as a diocese. This Chair is a symbol of his authority to teach, sanctify, and govern the people of Christ. The church in which this Chair is housed is consequently known as a Cathedral church… the bishop’s own parish church.
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our Patrons
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Saint simon
The name of Saint Simon usually appears eleventh in the list of the Apostles. Born at Cana in Galilee – the site of the Lord’s miracle at a wedding feast – St. Simon was surnamed “the Zealot,” probably due to his affiliation with a Jewish reform group. Following the Lord’s Resurrection, he preached the Gospel and initiated the life of the Church in Persia (modern day Iran) and Asia Minor (Turkey). He was martyred sometime in the mid-first century and is often depicted with the instrument of his martyrdom – a saw.
St. Simon’s relics are now housed at the Vatican along with those of St. Jude. St. Simon is especially called upon when we face difficulty and contempt for our religious beliefs or the practice of our religion.
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saint jude
Saint Jude, also called “Thaddeus,” was the Apostle who asked the Lord at the Passover Supper the night before His Death why He had manifested Himself only to His disciples and not to the whole world (John 14:22). Saint Jude is also the Apostle who authored the epistle contained in the New Testament, encouraging the early Church in the face of adversity. St. Jude preached the Gospel along with St. Simon in Persia. St. Jude was renowned for his effective preaching and refutation of the enemies of the Church, in casting out demons, and in converting the Zoroastrian king. St. Jude was martyred by being run-through with a spear, and his relics are housed at the Vatican. St. Jude is known around the world as the patron of causes despaired of… when everything seems hopeless, his prayers are often sought.
Ss. Simon & Jude Cathedral celebrates Mass each Tuesday
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