CURRENT STAFF:

Fr. Allen Duston, O.P.

Director (2011-Present)

Fr. Allen Duston, O.P. is the director of the Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, a position he has held since 2011.

Born in Pasadena, Fr. Duston was ordained to the Dominican priesthood in 1978.  He received his doctorate in Canon Law at the Angelicum, in Rome, and was later appointed Vicar Provincial of the Western Dominican Province, and President of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, in Berkeley. In 1994, he returned to Rome to become Director of Development of the Vatican Museums.  Among highlights of his stewardship in this role are his supervision of the restoration of Raphael’s School of Athens, the Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, and Bramante’s Spiral Staircase for the Villa Belvedere in the Vatican.  Fr. Duston also oversaw the activities of the Friends of the Vatican Museums, with chapters around the world.  In addition, he organized, in 2003, the remarkable exhibit “St Peter and the Vatican, the Legacy of the Popes,” which toured the United States to enormous acclaim, and edited the accompanying catalogue.

In 2007, Fr. Duston was reappointed to the U.S., ministering at Blessed Sacrament Parish, the Dominican parish in Seattle, WA.  As the director of the St. Jude Shrine, Fr. Duston is assigned to St. Dominic’s Priory, San Francisco.  He directs all programs of outreach to the many pilgrims who visit the Shrine and the thousands of devotees who contact the Shrine weekly, while overseeing the novenas, daily Masses, retreats and pilgrimages that comprise the Shrine’s basic ministry.

Fr. Felix Cassidy, O.P.

Assitant Director-Pilgrim Ministry

Fr. Felix was ordained in June 1954. He is in charge of Pilgrim Ministry. His lifetime of service throughout the Western Dominican Province has taken him from his native San Francisco to being pastor in Reno, NV, Portland, OR, and places in between.  Fr. Cassidy has also been a missionary in Chiapas,  Mexico, where the locals referred to him affectionately as "the Happy Priest." Today, he is often found blessing devotees with the St. Jude Relic after the St. Jude Masses or leading the faithful in prayers for the Novenas and other events.

Stedman Matthew

Stedman is the Chief Administrative Officer. He joined the Shrine in 2008 after almost fourteen years as Parish Administrator at St. Dominic's Church, home of the Shrine.  He oversees much of the Shrine of St. Jude's daily duties.

Rosa Pinto (habla español)

Rosa is the office manager for the Shrine, where she oversees the gift shop operations, among her administrative duties. She joined the Shrine staff in 2008, and is the liaison to the Shrine's vast community of Hispanic devotees.  In this capacity she is the editor of the Spanish editions of the Shrine's Novena newsletters and, crucially, is the moving force behind the annual St. Jude Pilgrimage.

Hennie Wisniewski

Hennie is responsible for maintaining the Shrine's data records.  As our devoted web master, she also maintains our website, bringing to this task her many years of experience in this field.

PAST DIRECTORS:

Fr. Martin de Porres Walsh, O.P.

Past Director (2007-2011)

Father Martin Walsh over 40 years ago said yes to God's call to enter the Dominican Order.  Ordained in 1969, he was assigned to St. Dominic's Priory in San Francisco, serving as parochial vicar and, later, eight years as pastor, during which time he directed the church's successful restoration project.  At St. Dominic's he had the opportunity to work with Fr. Thomas Hayes, O.P., a beloved Shrine of St. Jude director for many years. 

Fr. Martin  has served as Master of Novices for the Western Province, and as Director of Vocations.  A graduate of the University of San Francisco, he is currently Director of the Dominican Mission Foundation, overseeing missionary operations in Mexico, Lithuania, Kenya, and Guatemala, among other countries.

Fr. Emmerich Vogt, O.P.

Past Director (2003-2007)

Father Emmerich Vogt was ordained to the Dominican priesthood in March 1978. He was born and raised in New Britain, Connecticut, where he attended Central Connecticut State University. He received a BA degree in Philosophy from St. Albert's College in Oakland, CA; an MA degree in Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley; and a graduate degree in Near Eastern Religions from the University of California.

He has taught at Daniel Murphy High School in Los Angeles, CA; Marist High School in Eugene, OR; Holy Rosary College in Fremont, CA; and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. He has been pastor and prior at Most Holy Rosary Church in Portland, OR, and most recently, served as prior-provincial of the Western Dominican Province from 2007 to 2011.  Fr. Vogt has for over 20 years given retreats and seminars to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's Missionaries of Charity throughout the world.  He is also noted for founding a 12-Step-Review program, which he directs today, ministering to people debilitated by drug- or alcohol- or other addiction.

Fr. Dominic Briese, O.P.

Past Director (2001-2003)

Fr. Dominic Briese was born in Mineola on Long Island, New York. He graduated with two academic degrees from the University of Utah, and was employed as a Contracting Officer with the United States Air Force. He entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in 1988 and was ordained a priest in June 1996. Fr. Dominic is a cancer survirvor and the author of:

• Coming Home: Living Easter 2000 in the Catholic Church

• Is Christ Coming Now?: Preparing for Advent and Christmas

• Jubilee 2000 - Our God of Compassion: God and Suffering

Fr. Dominic Briese has a special devotion to Our Lady and highly encourages everyone to pray the Rosary.

Fr. Donald Bramble, O.P.

Past Director (1999-2000)

Fr. Donald was born in Quebec, Canada and raised in south central Los Angeles.  He attended Daniel Murphy High school where he got to know the Dominican friars.  After studying at Cal State, Los Angeles, Fr. Donald entered the Dominican Order in 1970 and was ordained on June 4, 1976, "thirty-five years and one day after my uncle's ordination -- Msgr. Keith Bramble"  Our close bond with Fr. Donald was formed when he held the twin directorships of the Dominican Mission Foundation and the Shrine.  In addition to California, he has served the Order in Alaska, Utah, and Arizona, in parishes, in Hispanic ministry, campus ministry, college teaching, adult education and, most recently, as pastor  of Holy family Cathedral in Anchorage, AK.  Fr. Donald who has a Master's Degree in psychiatric Social work from the University of Utah, says "the international character of the Order, the men and women, lay and religious, in the Dominican family ... weave a rich spiritual heritage reaching back to St. Dominic, St. Catherine of Siena, St. mMrtin de Porres ... who are all our companions on the road to heaven."

Fr. Reginald Martin, O.P.

Past Director (1997-1999)

In 1999, Fr. Reginald celebrated his 25th anniversary of ordination and his friends produced a festschrift (literally, a book of celebration) in his honor.  In its range of tributes and remembrances, the festschrift gave a fair summation of the talents with which God has blessed him for his work in the Church and in the Dominican Order.  He has honored the Order's motto to bless, to praise and to preach, one friend wrote, as "purveyor of chrism, tongue of silver, pen of grace, gracious celebrant, friar most mendicant" and much more besides.  An advanced degree in business administration has under girded his service to the Order as pastor, prior, vicar provincial, provincial council member and director of advancement, among other ministries. Today, Fr. Reginald is director  of the Dominican Rosary Centr, in Portland, Or, but retains his love for the Shrine of which he was director in the 90's.  "I count those years among the happiest of my thirty-five year priesthood,"  he wrote in our newsletter for the Novena in honor St. Anne, which he returned to preach last summer.  Of the Novena preaching itself, one attendee wrote to us, "that was my first Dominican Novena, and the best of 50 years of making them.

Fr. Thomas Hayes, O.P

Past Director (1987 - 1997)

At the Mass commemorating Fr. Tommy's 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood held at St. Dominic's church, home of the Shrine, on May 24, 2009, the choir sang, The Lord has Prepared his Seat in Heaven. It was a fitting tribute to a priest who has served the Dominican Order with great distinction across a range of ministries:  as teacher, as a chaplin to students, as superior and prior of Dominican communities; as pastoral associate in Benicia, CA, in San Francisco, CA and Anchorage, AK; and of course for ten years as director of the Shrine of St. Jude.  These are just some of the offices which Fr. Tommy has graced.  Presently, he is Province promotion of the Holy Name Society and spiritual moderator for the National Association of Holy Name Societies.  He has been honored as a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulcher, and was honored by the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology as a recipient of its 2009 Archbishop Joseph Alemany Award for Christian Service.

Fr. Dennis Patrick Kane, O.P

Past Director (1962 - 1964)

Fr. Kane was one of the four Kane brother from Dorchester, MA who became Dominicans.  He served in the Western Province with his brother John Victor.  From his work with the Dominican preachers throughout the West, he was an important figure in the establishment of the Shrine Apostolate.  A dynamic preacher and indefatigable, despite a serious injury suffered in a fall at the Novitiate in Ross, CA, Fr. Dennis Kane greatly influenced his brother John Victor and others to promote the Shrine of St. Jude.  Fr. Dennis made his solemn profession on September 12, 1240 and was ordained a priest on June 13, 1942 at St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco,  though his priestly ministry, he served the Dominican parishes in San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles, and the priories of Kentfield and San Francisco.  Fr. Dennis was made a member of the Provincial Council and appointed a Preacher General of the Province.  He is buried at St. Dominic's Cemetery in Benicia, CA.

Fr. Thomas McElhatton, O.P.

Past Director: b. Aug 1904; d. Oct. 1965

Fr. McElhatton was born  in Moline, Il and attended Northeastern University, St. Thomas College, Ross, CA and the Dominican House of Studies, Benicia, CA.  He was ordained a priest on June 6, 1939 and went on to a stellar ministry in the Province.  He was vocation Director and Secretary to the Provincial.  He was assistant pastor in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Eagle Rock (Los Angeles), CA, becoming pastor at this latter parish for two terms.  He was later Prior of St. Dominic's, San Francisco.  Fr. McElhatton is largely responsible for the design and construction of the Dominican Retreat Center at McKenzie Bridge, OR., which has been over  the decades a haven of tranquility and spiritual refreshment for Dominican clergy and laity alike.  He spent several years there before returning to Eagle Rock for two more terms.  He succumbed to poor health, and died in thousand Oaks, CA.

Fr. William Thomas Lewis, O.P.

Past Director: b. Mar 1885; d. Apr 1978