St Jude who?

[Jim Gregory]

In the personal columns of some national newspapers I often see prayers and thanks made to St Jude. Who was she?

[Lord Panda]

St Jude is the patron saint of lost causes.

[woofwoofwoof]

And she is in fact a he.

[evan_pe]

He is actually the Patron Saint of "hopeless" as opposed to "lost" causes.

The Shrine to St Jude was inaugurated after the second world war at the RC church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Faversham, Kent. Originally the parish priest, Fr Lynch, had only a relic of the saint. However, during the war an Irish couple who lived nearby came to pray for intercession as their son had been reported missing, presumed dead at sea. Shortly after they stumbled across a rare statue of the saint in a second hand shop and donated to the parish. Six months later their son was found alive.

The final twist of this tale is that both of the couple's sons were lost at sea the following year.

The statue is still the focal point of the shrine and is dedicated to Mr & Mrs Murphy and their two sons.

[SRAYN1]

You'll find a whole feature on this subject. Just click here article 532