Of all the saints, none is invoked from deeper water. St. Jude Thaddeus — apostle, martyr, and patron of hopeless causes — is the saint people find at three in the morning, when the situation has stopped responding to effort. Hospitals are named for him. Classified pages still carry small printed thank-yous to him. Devotion to him is one of the most widespread in American Catholic life, and it is carried almost entirely by people who were desperate once and were not abandoned.
Who St. Jude actually was
Jude, also called Thaddeus, was one of the twelve apostles — listed among them in the Gospels of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, and traditionally identified as the author of the short New Testament letter that bears his name. He is called “Jude of James” to distinguish him from the other Judas, a distinction the Church has been making emphatically ever since.
He speaks exactly once in the Gospels. At the Last Supper he asks: “Master, what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” (John 14:22) — a genuine question from a man still trying to understand what kind of kingdom he had signed up for. Jesus answers him not with a rebuke but with one of the most intimate promises in Scripture: that He and the Father will come to those who love Him and make their dwelling with them.
Tradition holds that after Pentecost, Jude preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia, often paired with the apostle Simon the Zealot, and that he died a martyr. His relics are venerated at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Why he became the patron of hopeless causes
The tradition has a poignant logic: because his name so closely resembled Judas Iscariot’s, the faithful for centuries hesitated to invoke him at all. The saint nearest in name to the betrayer became the least-asked apostle in heaven — and so, the tradition goes, he is especially eager to help those who finally do ask, and especially attentive to causes everyone else has given up on.
The devotion grew quietly for centuries — St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Bridget of Sweden are both associated with early devotion to him — and then spread enormously in the twentieth century, particularly in America, where the National Shrine of St. Jude was founded in Chicago in 1929, in the teeth of the Great Depression: a patron of hopeless causes, arriving on time.
The heart of the devotion
Catholics do not worship St. Jude — worship belongs to God alone. To pray to a saint is to ask a living member of Christ’s family to pray for you (CCC 956), the way you would ask the strongest intercessor you know. St. Jude’s specialty is simply this: the causes everyone else has quietly written off.
How to recognize St. Jude in art
Once you know his symbols, St. Jude is unmistakable. He is usually shown holding an image of Jesus — a medallion or cloth bearing the face of Christ. That detail comes from the ancient legend of King Abgar of Edessa: the ailing king wrote to Jesus asking to be healed, and an image of the Lord’s face, carried to Edessa — by Jude, in the tradition that attached itself to him — brought the king his healing. It is a legend, and the Church presents it as one; but it is the reason the apostle of hopeless causes is painted forever holding the face of Christ out toward the viewer.
The other two marks are simpler. A small flame above his head recalls Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in tongues of fire (Acts 2:3). And the club in his hand recalls the tradition of his martyrdom in Persia — the instrument of his death carried, as with so many martyrs, like a trophy.
His feast day and the novena
The Church celebrates St. Jude on October 28, jointly with the apostle Simon. The beloved nine-day novena is traditionally prayed October 19–27, ending on the eve of the feast — though it is prayed year-round by those in urgent need, which is to say, constantly.
In Their Words
“But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God.” — Jude 1:20–21
Prayers
Prayer to St. Jude
Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, pray for me, who am so helpless and alone. Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. I will be ever mindful of this great favor, and I will never cease to honor you as my special and powerful patron. Amen.
Nine days of prayer
Pray the St. Jude Thaddeus novena — all nine days with reflections →
Common Questions
Is St. Jude the same as Judas Iscariot?
No. St. Jude Thaddeus and Judas Iscariot were two different apostles. The unfortunate similarity of names is precisely why devotion to Jude grew slowly — and why tradition holds him especially ready to help those who ask.
What is St. Jude the patron saint of?
Hopeless causes and desperate situations — the cases where human options have run out. He is also invoked for hospitals and the sick; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is named in his honor.
When is St. Jude’s feast day?
October 28, celebrated jointly with the apostle St. Simon. The traditional novena is prayed October 19–27.
How do I ask St. Jude to pray for me?
Simply speak to him — formally with the traditional prayer, or in your own words. Many pray the nine-day St. Jude novena for a serious intention. Every prayer to a saint is ultimately a request that they intercede with God for you.
Sources & Church Teaching
- Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13 (Jude among the Twelve); John 14:22 (his question at the Last Supper); the Letter of Jude
- Catechism of the Catholic Church 956 (the intercession of the saints)
- Roman Martyrology, October 28 (Sts. Simon and Jude, apostles)