St. Jude Church in Columbiana began as St. Patrick Mission on November 6, 1960 with the first mass said by Father Paul Petric in the all-purpose room of Joshua Dixon School with 75 people present. Father Michael Chonko was assigned as administrator in December 1960 and served for 5 years. During that time the initial First Communion service took place in May 1961 and a CCD program was started in September 1961. In September 1965, Father Frank Lehnerd was assigned and the name was changed to St. Jude Mission with a second mass added. The Mission was elevated to a Parish in March 1966 and Msgr. P. Breen Malone was the first pastor. A Parish Council was also started. Father James Stenson was the next pastor in June 1967 and Father David Lettau succeeded him in June 1968. In September 1969, ground was broken for the church on Seventh Street and in 1970 a house was purchased adjacent to the property as a rectory. The first Mass and First Communion were held in the new St. Jude Church on May 2, 1970. Father Donald Oser became pastor in 1970. The church held a form dedication on August 9, 1970. By June 1971 the parish had grown to 125 families and Father Robert Flynn was named pastor and he was there until 1986. The parish grew to 450 families and on December 14, 1980, its Activity Center was dedicated. It served as the parish CCD center as well as for meetings and social events. In July 1984, Father Gabriel Yablonsky became pastor until June 1991 when Father Edward Wieczorek succeeded him. Father Thomas Zeigler became pastor in August 1995. The parish has been blessed by having three Permanent Deacons ordained: the late Mr. Eugene Basile, the late Dr. Louis Cosentino, and the late Dr. Terry Coulter. Each Deacon assisted the various pastors with different ministries. St. Jude Parish had had a very activate Women’s Guild as well as a Men’s Club which was the forerunner of the St. Jude Knights of Columbus Council #10183. Both organizations have been responsible for financially assisting the parish with numerous needs throughout the years. In 2001 an addition was added to the buildings to house more classrooms and the church offices. Then in 2006, a new Rectory was built across from the church. In 2009 St. Jude and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in East Palestine began a collaboration and shared one priest. St. Jude gained the benefit of another Deacon, Christopher Evans. He formed a Bereavement Support Group at St. Jude. Father Christopher Cicero became pastor in February 2014. He formed Caritas of St. Jude as a charity ministry that offers monthly free community meals and a food drive. A Parish Festival also started in 2016. A recent Capital Campaign was successfully held and a major renovation and enlargement of the church are currently underway. The dedication of the new church held in 2018.
The history of the church in East Palestine is one of pride, caring, dedication and this continues to this day. Father David Misbrener finished college and seminary in Pittsburgh and was ordained a priest in the Byzantine Church on May 7, 1995. He served as pastor of St. Peter of the Fields Church in Rootstown, Ohio for the last 14 years before moving to St. Jude in 2020. In September 2023, Father Chad Johnson became priest of Our Lady of Lourdes.