Saint Jude Thaddaeus is one of the 12 apostles of Jesus.  He is mentioned briefly and infrequently in the New Testament.  Like many of the apostles, the true historical picture of his life has been obscured by time.  Tradition tells us that his brother is the apostle James the Less and was probably a relative of Jesus.  The New Testament letter of “Jude” is often attributed to him.  Other scholarship points to the fact that name Jude (a form of the name Judah) was very common and the writter of the letter may be attributed to one of the disciples or latter followers of Jesus. Again it is tradition that tells us that Jude spread the teachings of Christ in Judea and north through modern day Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.  His travels ended in Martyrdom in the Persia territories of Armenia. 

St Jude can be recognized at St. Patrick’s Church by the club which was used in his martyrdom and by his wearing a medallion with the image of Jesus.  Other symbols of St. Jude include boats, boat hooks and oars, along with axes, carpenter’s square and writing tools.  He is often depicted with the penecostal flame over his head and is often dressed in green and white.

He is the patron saint of desperate or forgotten causes, hospitals and difficult situations.  His Feast Day is celebrated on October 28th.