About Our Patron Saint

Saint Jude Thaddeus the Apostle

Universally St. Jude Thaddeus is known as the patron saint of lost causes, desperate situations, hospitals and Armenia. On October 28, the feast day of St. Jude Thaddeus is celebrated worldwide.

Introduction

We do not know much about St. Jude Thaddeus, and his name is mentioned only a limited number of times in the New Testament. He is described by Matthew in the gospels as one of the “brethren” of Jesus, most likely his cousin. The Epistle of Jude mentions that it is written by Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

St. Jude Thaddeus is also known as Judas or Judas Thaddeus and for this he is often mistaken to be Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus before he was crucified. Because of this some translators of the New Testament used the name Jude in order to distinguish him from Judas. He is also known by other names including Jude of James, Jude the brother of James and Lebbaeus. St. Jude Thaddeus was born to Mary who is the cousin of Jesus’ own mother, Mary. His father Cleophas, was the brother of St. Joseph. St. Jude was married and had at least one child. There are references about him having grandchildren who lived as late as 95 A.D.

Ministry of St. Jude Thaddeus

As one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, St. Jude Thaddeus preached the good news of Jesus throughout Galilee, Samaria and Judea. In 37 A.D., he traveled to Mesopotamia which is known today as Iraq. There he became a leader of the Church of the East, a church that St. Thomas founded.

St. Jude Thaddeus also journeyed across Libya, Turkey, Persia and Mesopotamia with St. Simon. Together they preached the good news and led many people to Christianity. He is often credited as having helped start the Armenian Church and other congregations outside the Roman Empire.

In 60 A.D., St. Jude wrote a letter to newly converted Christians in the Eastern Church who were suffering persecution. In his letter he warned them to be careful of the false teachers of the current day who were spreading wrong teachings about Christianity. He encouraged them to keep persevering and to stand firm in their faith in the midst of the harsh realities that they were facing.

Martyrdom and Legacy

In spite of the widespread persecutions of Christians during his time, St. Jude Thaddeus stood by his beliefs and ultimately paid the price for his faith. He is believed to have been martyred either in Persia or Syria sometime in 65 A.D. In religious art, he is often shown holding an axe or club which symbolizes the way he was martyred.

After his death, the apostle’s body was transported to Rome and placed in a crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica. Today his bones are kept in the left transept of St. Peter’s Basilica, under the main altar of St. Joseph, in one tomb that holds the remains of the apostle Simon the Zealot. St. Jude Thaddeus is invoked as the patron saint of hopeless cases and desperate situations.

The Vatican was especially generous in giving the National Shrine of St. Jude two first-class relics of bone in the 1920s. The large relic at the altar represents the complete reverence St. Jude gave Jesus as one of His twelve Apostles. The small relic at the kneeler is heavily protected in special glass and anchored in brass; this allows us to make it accessible to touch for all who visit the Shrine.

Paintings and images of St. Jude include a number of defining characteristics, but many might not know what those symbols represent. Below are some common symbols attributed to St. Jude;

St. Jude holding a medallion

The medallion is an impression of Jesus, known as “The Image of Edessa.” King Abgar of Edessa (now part of Turkey) was suffering from a serious illness. He had heard of Jesus healing others and called for Jesus to heal him. Jesus pressed His face onto a piece of cloth and gave it to St. Jude to present to King Abgar. Upon receiving the cloth King Abgar was healed. This scene is depicted in one of the stained glass windows at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where the National Shrine of St. Jude is located.

The flame above St. Jude's head

It is known as “The Tongue of Flame.” This represents the Holy Spirit descending upon St. Jude and the other Apostles at Pentecost. “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:3-4).

St. Jude wear green cloth

St. Jude is depicted wearing green because green symbolizes hope and renewal. Just as in spring when foliage and flowers spring up with renewed life, we turn to St. Jude, our Patron of Hope, in difficult or seemingly hopeless times.

St. Jude location in da Vinci's Last Supper

Located second from the right, St. Jude Thaddeus is shown with a beard and long, light colored hair. He is sitting between St. Simon (far right) and St. Matthew (third from the right).

Spread of the devotion to St. Jude

After his death, many turned to St. Jude for his intercession in prayer. Jesus inspired the devotion to St. Jude for St. Bridget of Sweden when He directed her in a vision to turn to St. Jude with great faith and confidence. In a vision, Christ told St. Bridget, “In accordance with his surname, Thaddeus, the amiable or loving, he will show himself most willing to give help.” During the Middle Ages, St. Jude was widely venerated.

In the early 20th century, St. Jude Thaddeus was relatively unknown to the general Catholic population in the United States. In 1929, the first devotional services to St. Jude were held by Claretian Fr. James Tort at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in southeast Chicago; before the year ended, the country’s only National Shrine of St. Jude would be firmly established. Word of the devotions to St. Jude gradually spread from that tiny corner of Chicago to other parts of the country. During the Great Depression and World War II, thousands of men, women, and children attended novenas at the Shrine; devotion to the “patron saint of hopeless causes” spread throughout the country.

Conclusion

St. Jude Thaddeus preached the Gospel with great passion, often in the most difficult circumstances. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he made profound differences in people's lives as he offered them the Word of God. He is believed to be the powerful intercessor before God.

About St. Jude