Who was St Jude

In the personal columns of some national newspapers I often see prayers and thanks made to St Jude. I know she is now the patron saint of lost causes, but who was this saintly helper for when all else fails < xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

�

Thanks for the question, Jim Gregory. But she is a he: St Jude of Thaddeus, considered the saint of last resort, was a 'brethren' or cousin of Jesus and also an apostle.

�

What else is known about Jude

St Jude is often portrayed with Jesus, but little is known about him. King Abagar of Edessa, now a town called Urfa in eastern Turkey, sent word to Jesus asking him to come and cure him of leprosy. Jesus pressed his image on a cloth and gave it to Jude to take to the king, who was cured, according to one version of the story.�

�

Any further good works

Jude later travelled through Mesopotamia and other regions preaching and converting many to Christianity. The Epistle of St Jude tells his story.

�

How did he perish

He died a martyr, but there are several versions of how and where. By one tradition he was clubbed to death and his head was then shattered with a broad axe. His body was eventually brought to Rome and placed in a crypt at St Peter's Basilica.

�

Then the devotion began

Yes. There is evidence of devotion to St Jude in the Middle Ages, but for many centuries, it flagged, possibly because he was confused with Judas Iscariot, Christ's betrayer. In recent years, devotion has increased, manifested in modern ways, from numerous St Jude websites to books on the saint.

�

And these shrines

There are several popular shrines to him, including Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Chicago, St Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, Manhattan, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in Faversham, Kent. All attract pilgrims from throughout the world.

�

Why the popularity

He is patron of lost causes and the difficult and desperate. That covers a lot. His feast days are 19 June and 28 October.

�

If you have any questions to ask on People and Places, click here

�

By Steve Cunningham