Meet the Parish Staff

Father Tom Shoemaker was assigned pastor of St. Jude in July of 2001.  A native of Gas City, Indiana, he attended Wabash College and I.U. School of Dentistry.  After practicing dentistry for two years, he enrolled at St. John's Seminary in Boston.

Fr. Tom was ordained a priest in 1990.  He was previously assigned to St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend (1990-1998), and St. Henry and Sacred Heart parishes in Fort Wayne (1998-2001).

Fr. Robert D’Souza has been assigned to St. Jude Parish and Parkview Hospital since August, 1997. Ordained in India in 1973, he received his degrees in theology and philosophy from the Papal Athenium in Pane, India. In India he was involved in pastoral ministry, school and diocesan administration, and served as the Director of Boys Town in Calcutta. Since coming to the states at the invitation of Bishop John D’Arcy, he has been actively involved as a Catholic chaplain at Parkview Hospital and in assisting the Pastor with various sacramental duties. He was incardinated in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend on February 2, 2000.

Mary Pohlman has been serving St. Jude since 1978, when she began teaching in the parish grade school. Later, she coordinated the Young Adult Group. In 1990, she became the full time Pastoral Associate. Mary works with parish volunteers in our ministry to the sick and homebound, especially through the Social Action Committee and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She helps guide the educational and spiritual life of parishioners though the Adult Education Committee and yearly Lenten series. Mary coordinates all our liturgical ministers, works with children’s liturgies for the school, and meets with families to prepare funeral liturgies. She also gains much satisfaction in leading our “Re-Member’s”, those Catholics who are returning to the Church.

Kevin Demetroff has been a member of St. Jude Parish since entering first grade at St. Jude School in 1956. He studied piano with Sr. Mary Redempta and organ with Louis Peil and Ed Throm. Since 1985, he has served the parish as Director of Music Ministries. He is parish organist, responsible for music at parish liturgies and works with the choir, cantors, and instrumentalists. He is a resource for the preparation of school Masses. He provides resources for the Liturgy Committee and works to prepare all public worship in the parish. In addition to preparation and practice time, he helps approximately 50 couples each year prepare for weddings. He also plays and directs music for 65 Funeral liturgies in an average year.

John Zollinger has been a parishioner of St. Jude's for over nineteen years. After volunteering in the Youth Ministry program for the last six years, John became the full time youth minister on July 16, 2001.  As coordinator of youth ministry he is responsible for the junior high (6th to 8th grade), senior high ( grades 9 to 12), and the young adult group. John will work with these three groups as they develop their spiritual life through weekly meetings, social events, retreats and service work.

John Offerle has been a member of St. Jude Parish his whole life and is an alumnus of St. Jude Catholic School. He has been involved with a number of parish ministries throughout his years here, especially in youth ministry. In fact, he was the Youth Ministry Coordinator for 10 years from 1991-2001. He left that position and was a Pastoral Care Associate at St. Anne Home for almost 5 years before returning to work at St. Jude in July of 2006 as the Business Manager. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business side of the Parish and School, including budgeting, accounting, and facilities management. He chairs the Finance Committee and the Building and Grounds Committee.

Sister Kathleen Marie Knueven, SND, is a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame from Toledo, Ohio. Professed in 1967, she has served as teacher and principal in the Toledo, Ohio and Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana Dioceses. Sister has served St. Jude as Principal since 1998. She is responsible for overseeing the Parish Grade School, with an enrollment of 655 students, Pre K – Grade 8. She supervises a staff of 40 teachers and 9 support staff; in addition to working with the Parish Council, School Board, and various educational committees.