Saint Jude Catholic School was opened in July 1963 by Fr. Peter Yang, SVD. While immersing himself with work among the parishioners of St. Jude Parish where he served as assistant parish priest in the late 50s, Fr. Yang saw the need to reach out to the Chinese community and shepherd them into God's fold.
Together with his co-founder, Mons. Peter Tsao, SVD, who was then parish priest of St. Jude Parish and with Fr. Charles Tchou as a Prefect of Discipline and six teachers namely Ms. Rosa Chua Esteban, Ms. Josefine Uy, Ms. Angeline Onglatco, Ms. Rogracia Sunga, Ms. Corazon Sevilla and Ms. Amelita Simon, they started the hard work of building the school and establishing a reputation for excellence. Fr. Yang served as its first principal with Mons. Tsao as its first director.
Its early years saw an enrollment of one hundred ninety-two (192) boys and girls in the preschool and first grade levels complemented by a teaching force of nine (9) teachers. Realizing the value of preserving the Chinese cultural heritage, a curricular program was designed adopting the prescribed curriculum for Filipino schools with the addition of Chinese Language and Arts. Out of the remnants of the Riverside Hospital during the Japanese occupation rose nipa-thatched school houses which provided the first classrooms for the Judenites.
As the population increased, construction of new buildings began. From what appeared to be shacks in 1963 now emerges a school plant that serves the needs of its academic community. At present, the preschoolers have a separate building outside the main campus building. The grade school and high school students occupied the other buildings of the school.
From the original one hundred ninety-two (192) students and nine (9) teaching personnel, the school has grown to more than three thousand (3,000) students enrolled in the various academic levels. Its teaching force has grown to one hundred fifty (150) teachers supported by a staff of administrative, academic, office and maintenance personnel. With Filipino administrators now at its helm, the school has enriched its two-pronged curricular program through its English curriculum which follows the prescribed Department of Education (DepEd) curriculum and the addition of Chinese Language, History and Geography in its Chinese curriculum. Thus, Saint Jude Catholic School enjoys an enviable position of offering quality education to the Chinese-Filipino community marked by academic excellence and humane discipline.
Saint Jude Catholic School is among the fourteen (14) SVD schools all over the Philippines which are members of the Divine Word Educational Association (DWEA). The DWEA together with Saint Jude Catholic School works to ensure that from its humble beginnings, SJCS will continue to grow and succeed in propagating the ideals of Catholic education.
