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Saint Jude Novena

Devotion to St. Jude Around the World

For centuries Saint Jude was one of the least known apostles. Today he is one of the most loved saints in the world. Here is a short tour of the places where his devotion runs deepest.

Rome

The relics of Saint Jude rest in Saint Peter's Basilica, beneath the altar of Saint Joseph in the left transept, together with the relics of Saint Simon. Pilgrims from every country pray there, close to the tomb of Saint Peter.

Armenia

The Armenian people honor Saint Thaddeus and Saint Bartholomew as the first apostles to bring them the Gospel. An ancient monastery dedicated to Saint Thaddeus still stands in the mountains of northwestern Iran, and pilgrims gather there each summer.

Chicago

In 1929, Father James Tort, a Claretian priest, was pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in South Chicago. Many of his parishioners worked in the steel mills and were struggling to get by. Father Tort had a deep love for Saint Jude, a saint few Catholics knew at the time, and he began a novena in his honor. The first solemn novena opened on February 17, 1929. On October 28 of that year, the feast of Saint Jude, more than a thousand people stood outside the packed church just to hear the prayers.

Within months the stock market crashed. Through the Great Depression and the Second World War, families who had lost jobs, homes and sons at war came to pray the novena, and devotion to Saint Jude spread across the country. The Claretians still care for the National Shrine of Saint Jude there today.

Memphis

A struggling young entertainer named Danny Thomas once prayed to Saint Jude for help finding his way in life and promised to build a shrine in his honor. He became famous, and he kept his promise. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened in Memphis in 1962. It remains one of the best known tributes to Saint Jude anywhere. (This site has no connection to the hospital.)

The Philippines

In Manila, the National Shrine of Saint Jude Thaddeus stands on José P. Laurel Street, beside the presidential palace. A weekly novena has been prayed there every Thursday since 1959, with Masses and novenas through the day and crowds spilling into the churchyard. Students facing board exams, families facing illness and workers far from home all come to ask his help. The Divine Word Missionaries have cared for the shrine since its beginning.

Mexico

In Mexico City, the church of San Hipólito is the heart of devotion to San Judas Tadeo. On the 28th of every month, people come from all over the city, many on foot, carrying statues and holy cards. On October 28 the crowds reach the tens of thousands. Many are young people and working families who have nowhere else to turn.

Wherever you are

You do not need to travel to a shrine. Saint Jude hears a whispered prayer in a hospital room or a parked car just as well. If you are carrying something heavy today, you can begin the novena here.

Back to Who Is Saint Jude?

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