St. Jude Thaddeus: Patron of Hope in Desperate Times

St. Jude, also known as Jude Thaddeus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is often referred to in Scripture as the “brother of James” and is believed to be a relative of Jesus, a member of His extended family.

Despite the brief mentions in the Gospels (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13), St. Jude played a vital role in the early Church. He is credited with preaching the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia, and even reaching as far as Persia. Tradition holds that he suffered martyrdom around 65 A.D., likely in Beirut or Armenia, alongside the Apostle Simon the Zealot.

St. Jude is best known today as the Patron Saint of hopeless causes and desperate situations. Devotion to him became widespread in the 20th century when many Catholics reported miraculous answers to prayers through his intercession. His popularity is rooted in the belief that he helps those who feel abandoned or forgotten—reflecting his own status as an often-overlooked apostle due to the similarity of his name to Judas Iscariot.

Patronage:

• Lost causes

• Desperate situations

• Hospitals and hospital workers

Feast Day:

October 28

A popular Roman Catholic prayer to Saint Jude is:

“O most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honoureth and invoketh thee universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, and of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, who am so miserable.”