A special mission at a Derby parish will include veneration of a first-class relic of St. Jude Thaddeus, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ.
The relic, an arm bone of St. Jude’s right hand, can be venerated during the “St. Jude Mission, Mass and Veneration” from March 10 to 12 at St. Mary the Immaculate Conception Church, part of Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles Parish.
Born around the year 5 A.D., St. Jude is venerated as the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations. His intercessions have inspired devotions for centuries. If people pray to St. Jude in times of distress, it is said he will intercede and help them find the strength to continue.
The mission will mark the beginning of Lent and celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 designated by Pope Francis. The event will also honor the patron saint of the former St. Jude Church, now part of Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles Parish.
“I feel like the Holy Spirit brought this together for us in the Jubilee Year and for people to come together and deepen their friendship with Christ and with the Holy Spirit, who is the well-spring of hope and is fueled by the work of the apostles, like St. Jude,” says Father Jeffrey Gubbiotti, pastor.
The St. Jude mission will be conducted by Father Michail P. Ford, O.P., director of the Dominican Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus in Chicago. He travels throughout the United States, teaching on a myriad of topics including Catholic devotions.
As the universal Church embraces the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Shrine of St. Jude continues to serve as a powerful symbol of faith and perseverance. “It reminds the faithful that even in the most desperate situations, hope prevails,” Father Ford says. “St. Jude is the apostle of seemingly impossible situations.”
After his martyrdom, St. Jude’s body was buried in Iraq, formerly known as Mesopotamia. It was later moved to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome where it rests with other apostles.
Centuries ago, a small relic from St. Jude’s forearm was encased into a silver reliquary and preserved for many years in three different locations: Armenia, Turkey and Turin, Italy. In 1949, the Dominicans in Turin presented the relic to the Dominican Shrine of St. Jude on its 20th anniversary dedication.
Mission preaching, oil blessings, confessions, a prayer service with music and veneration of the relic will begin at 7 p.m. on March 10 and 11 at St. Mary the Immaculate Conception Church, 212 Elizabeth St., Derby. The mission will conclude with a St. Jude Mass and veneration at 7 p.m. on March 12, at the Church. Father Ford will also speak at all Masses in the parish during the weekend of March 8 and 9.
For more information about the St. Jude mission, visit Our Lady, Queen of the Angels Parish at olqaderby.org or call 203.735.3341. All are welcome to attend.
“The true impact of these missions lies in the powerful faith-filled stories we hear,” Father Ford says. “At a recent mission, a young woman tearfully shared how her faith in St. Jude’s intercession never wavered when her husband was on the brink of death. Now, though not yet fully recovered, he stood beside her, a living testament to faith and hope.”
Prayer request can be placed on the Dominican Shrine of St. Jude website, the-shrine.org, or by calling the prayer line, 385.330.9005. A friar at the shrine regularly listens to these requests and prays for the requestor’s intentions.
By Karen A. Avitabile
Catholic Transcript
Bookmark the link below and visit it often as you observe the wonderful season of Lent!
Feel free to share this link on social media
NorwichDiocese.org/Lent