St. Jude is the Patron Saint of our Parish; which incorporates the three churches of St. Mary’s, St. Joseph the Worker, and St. Helen’s.
Saint Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles appointed by Jesus to lead his Church. In the list of the Apostles given in the Gospel accounts he is generally identified with “Thaddeus”, and is variously known as Jude Thaddaeus, Judas Thaddaeus, Jude (brother or son) of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), or Lebbaeus. He is sometimes identified with Jude, referred to in the Bible as “brother” or “kinsman” of Jesus (Luke 6:16; Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55-57)
For many centuries he was wrongly confused with Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. The Gospel of John refers to a disciple called “Judas not Iscariot” (John 14:22). He is also not to be confused with “Thaddeus of Edessa”, one of the seventy disciples sent out by Jesus to proclaim the Kingdom of God.
The Letter or Epistle of Saint Jude in the Bible is usually attributed to the Apostle Jude, and though a short text it is inspired Holy Scripture and thus worth reading (to read it click here).
Very little is known about St. Jude’s life after the death and resurrection of Jesus, but the ancient tradition of the Church is that he preached the Gospel in the Middle East, namely Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, Libya, Beirut and Edessa.
Little is known about St. Jude’s later life, but the ancient tradition of the Church is that after preaching about the Good News of God’s love for all, St. Jude died as a martyr, giving his life in witness to Jesus Christ. According to the tradition of the Christians in Armenia, St. Jude was martyred about 65AD in the Lebanon town of Beirut, together with the apostle Simon the Zealot. The Latin Rite Catholic Church recalls the memory of Saints Simon and Jude on 28th October each year.
This Prayer for the intercession of St. Jude can also be prayed as a Novena (prayed each day for 9 consecutive days.)
SAINT JUDE, glorious Apostle, faithful servant and friend of Jesus! The name of the traitor has caused thee to be forgotten by many, but the Church honours and invokes thee universally as the patron of hopeless cases – of matters despaired of. Pray for me who am so miserable; make use, I implore thee, of that particular privilege accorded to thee, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolations and succour of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, particularly… (here make your request), and that I may bless God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity.
I promise thee, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour, and I will never cease to honour thee as my special and powerful patron and do all in my power to encourage devotion to thee. Amen.
St. Jude, pray for us. And for all who invoke thy aid. St. Jude, help of the hopeless, aid me in my distress! Pray for us, that we may appease the Divine Justice, and obtain a favourable judgement. Amen.
