St. Jude

Beside the parish church is the shrine of St. Jude where pilgrims come from far and wide.

Who was St. Jude?
Tradition tells us that St. Jude was a son of Cleophas, brother of St. Joseph.  He became a disciple of Jesus and in the gospels is numbered among the apostles.  A New Testament Letter is attributed to him. He is universally honoured as a martyr and his body was ultimately conveyed to Rome. The major relics are kept in St. Peter’s Basilica.  The shrine in Faversham is home to a bone fragment of St. Jude, which is displayed in the Augsberg Reliquary, a copy of a silver monstrance dated 1547.

Devotion to St. Jude
The similarity of his name to that of Judas Iscariot led to the name being largely disused and devotion to the apostle personally being virtually non-existent until the last two hundred years.  The extraordinary devotion we see today is entirely due to the experience people have of his powerful intercession.  Thousands daily invoke his aid when all else seems to have failed; it is especially in difficult cases that his wonderful help is known.  Many have seen their prayers answered in a seemingly miraculous way, even when to all human calculation the petition bordered on the hopeless.  Be it in sickness, poverty, misery, distress of heart and soul, even in despair, people approach this great saint to find strength and support in their difficulty.

The Carmelite Community is always pleased to receive individuals and groups.  If you wish to bring a group, please contact us beforehand so that we can welcome you.

Tel. 01795 539214
chaplain@stjudeshrine.org.uk