Here are the 10 things you need to know about the patron saint

of lost causes and desperate cases...

1. St Jude was one of Jesus' 12 apostles, chosen to spread the word of the gospel.

2. He was also known as Thaddeus or Thaddaeus - said to be a surname for the name

Labbaeus which means "heart" or courageous".

3. He is believed to have written the book of Jude. Religious scholars say it contains

some of the finest expressions of praise to God in the Bible's New Testament.

4. Jude became associated with desperate situations because of a letter he wrote to

the Churches of the East. In it he says that the faithful must keep going even in harsh or

difficult circumstances.

5. He is thought to have been martyred in Beirut in around 65 AD, along with fellow

apostle Simon the Zealot. He is often depicted showing a club or axe, symbolising the

way he died.

6. He is also sometimes pictured with a flame above his head. This refers to the

Pentecost, where he and the other apostles received the Holy Spirit.

7. The personal ads sections of some newspapers occasionally include messages from

people calling on St Jude for help in times of need, or thanking him for his support and

guidance.

8. Some choose to carry the image of St Jude on a medal or as a pendant on a

necklace to provide comfort.

9. The Shrine of St Jude can be found at the parish church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

in Faversham, Kent. It was set up in the 1950s by the church's friars, who noticed they

were getting an increasing number of requests for St Jude prayer cards. Donations to

"The Shrine of St Jude" began to come in, but one didn't exist - so Friar Elias Lynch set

one up. The shrine is visited all year round, but particularly on St Jude's feast day -

October 28.

10. St Jude is not to be confused with Judas Iscariot - another of the 12 apostles, but the

one who betrayed Jesus.

http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/aspirations.html

Who is St. Jude?(St. Jude Thaddeus)

St. Jude is the Patron Saint of Hope and Impossible causes and

one of Jesus’ original twelve Apostles. He 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.

Lord Jesus, my desire to work is itself

your gift. You gave me talents so I

could shine Your light to others in the

world. Send Your Spirit to guide me to

work that will provide security and joy,

and most of all the ability to serve You

in love. St. Jude, I do not know where I

am going—and so I call upon you in my

need. Bless my spirit with the

determination to press on. Give my

heart patience and fortitude. Help me,

dear friend, to know that God’s plan

for me is forged out of love. Amen.