National Shrine of St. Jude SEO Pages All Saints Day All Saints Day, also referred to as All Hallows, is a holy day of obligation celebrated on November 1st in honor of all saints and martyrs throughout Christian history, known and unknown. This holy day started when Pope Boniface IV buried the remains of Catholic martyrs beneath the Pantheon in Rome because robbers had been stealing them from the catacombs. Originally a temple for all of the gods, Emperor Phocas gave the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV who rededicated it as Santa Maria ad Martyres (St. Mary and All Martyrs) in 609 AD. Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in St. Peter s Basilica in Rome for Catholic saints, apostles, martyrs, and their relics in the mid-eighth century, and officially affirmed All Saints Day to be celebrated November 1st. While every canonized saint has their own feast day, All Saints Day is the celebration of all Catholic Saints, including those we may not know about. It is also a time to honor those saints who, like St. Jude, have interceded for us in times of need. The Gospel reading for All Saints Day is Matthew 5:1 12, which contains the Catholic prayer of The Beatitudes. The day before All Saints Day is All Hallows Eve (Halloween), October 31st. During the Middle Ages, beggars asked for soul cakes, and in exchange for the pastry, the recipient would pray for the souls of all those who have died. Halloween is mostly secular in the United States, as children dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating for candy in their neighborhoods. Customs for All Saints Day vary by country. In Eastern Europe candles are lit at the gravestones of loved ones. Flowers are more common in Western European countries. In the Philippines, not only are flowers brought and candles lit but family members also clean and repair the graves of their deceased loved ones. The theatrical play Don Juan Tenorio is performed in Spain, Mexico, and Portugal on All Saints Day, and families make offerings for their loved ones. November 1st is also Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocents) in Mexico, which honors children who have died. Swedish customs dictate that All Saints Day is celebrated on the first Saturday of November, while in Eastern Orthodox churches, All Saints Day is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost and is called All Saints Sunday. All Saints Day is not to be confused with All Souls Day, which is held the following day, November 2nd. All Souls Day is not a holy day of obligation and recognizes the faithful departed who have left their earthly lives but have not entered the kingdom of heaven. All Saints Day is a day to recognize the exceptional spiritual intercession of the saints in our lives. We honor their contributions and sacrifices to the Catholic faith and recognize
that we share a communion with Christ. It is estimated the Catholic Church has canonized more than 10,000 Saints.
History of St. Anthony of Padua St. Anthony was born Fernando Martins to a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195. He entered the Augustinian monastery at the age of 15. After two years he was transferred to the motherhouse of the congregation, the Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra, and was eventually ordained a priest. While he was a priest at the Augustinian monastery, the remains of a group of Franciscan martyrs were brought to the Abbey via a large cortege. Inspired by their example, Fernando said to the Franciscans, Brother, I would gladly put on the habit of your Order if you would promise to send me as soon as possible to the land of the Saracens, that I may gain the crown of the holy martyrs. Upon obtaining permission to join the newly established Franciscan Order, Fernando changed his name to Anthony. St. Anthony traveled to Morocco but soon fell ill. While attempting to return to Portugal, his ship was detoured to Sicily due to a violent storm and high winds. While recovering, Anthony spent his time praying and studying at a hermitage. During a visit from Dominican friars, Anthony was called up to give a homily. Though he tried to decline, he ended up giving the homily, surprising everyone with his eloquence, passion, and holiness. Thereafter, Anthony s preaching became widely respected. Venerated the world over as the Patron Saint of Lost Articles, Anthony had a book of psalms that he used when teaching and giving sermons while traveling throughout northern Italy and southern France. He quite valued this book and was distraught when he realized it had been stolen. Anthony prayed, asking God for his book to be returned. After his prayer, the novice who had stolen the book from him returned it. Because of this, a book is often depicted with St. Anthony. His book can be found at the Franciscan friary in Bologna, Italy. St. Anthony of Padua died on June 13, 1231, at the age of 36 at the Poor Clare monastery at Arcella, Italy (now part of Padua). He is buried in the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy. St. Anthony of Padua was canonized within the year by Pope Gregory IX (his friend), and people began praying for St. Anthony s intercession when items were lost or stolen. In addition to being the Patron of stolen and lost items, St. Anthony of Padua is considered the Patron Saint of sailors and fishermen (especially in Spain, France, and Italy), elderly people, harvests, and the mail. Just like St. Jude, St. Anthony preached the Gospel of Jesus with great fervor and can be called upon for intercession in desperate times.
St. Jude Thaddeus Symbols Paintings and images of St. Jude include a number of defining characteristics, but many might not know what those symbols represent. Below are answers to some common questions about the symbols attributed to St. Jude. Why is St. Jude holding a medallion? The medallion is an impression of Jesus, known as The Image of Edessa. King Abgar of Edessa (now part of Turkey) was suffering from a serious illness. He had heard of Jesus healing others and called for Jesus to heal him. Jesus pressed His face onto a piece of cloth and gave it to St. Jude to present to King Abgar. Upon receiving the cloth King Abgar was healed. This scene is depicted in one of the stained glass windows at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where the National Shrine of St. Jude is located. Why is there a flame above St. Jude s head? Known as The Tongue of Flame, this represents the Holy Spirit descending upon St. Jude and the other Apostles at Pentecost. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (Acts 2:3-4). Why does St. Jude wear green? St. Jude is depicted wearing green because green symbolizes hope and renewal. Just as in spring when foliage and flowers spring up with renewed life, we turn to St. Jude, our Patron of Hope, in difficult or seemingly hopeless times. What is St. Jude s relationship to Jesus? There are differing views on exactly how St. Jude is related to Jesus. Some writings identify St. Jude as Judas the brother of James, while others refer to him as Judas the son of James. Galatians 1:19 tells us that James is a brother of Jesus. However, in the Gospel of Matthew 13:55, St. Jude is said to be a brother of Jesus. Isn t this the carpenter s son? Isn t His mother s name Mary, and aren t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Regardless, we know that St. Jude was one of Jesus Apostles and that they shared a close relationship. Where is St. Jude in Leonardo da Vinci s Last Supper? Located second from the right, St. Jude Thaddeus is shown with a beard and long, light colored hair. He is sitting between St. Simon (far right) and St. Matthew (third from the right). Does the National Shrine have any St. Jude relics? The Vatican was especially generous in giving the National Shrine of St. Jude two firstclass relics of bone in the 1920s. The large relic at the altar represents the complete reverence St. Jude gave Jesus as one of His twelve Apostles. The small relic at the kneeler is heavily protected in special glass and anchored in brass; this allows us to make it accessible to touch for all who visit the Shrine.
Is St. Jude Thaddeus the same person as Judas Iscariot? No! The names Jude and Judas are Greek translations of Judah, which was a common name in Biblical times. Though similar in name, St. Jude is not the one who betrayed Jesus. For more information, visit our Judas Iscariot page. How Did St. Jude die? St. Jude was martyred in 65 with St. Simon in Persia on October 28 (their feast days). There are differing accounts regarding how St. Jude died. Some say he was beaten to death and beheaded, or hacked to death, which is why he is often depicted with a club or axe. St. Jude s remains are located in St. Peter s Basilica in Rome. How did devotion to St. Jude begin? After his death, many turned to St. Jude for his intercession in prayer. Jesus inspired the devotion to St. Jude for St. Bridget of Sweden when He directed her in a vision to turn to St. Jude with great faith and confidence. In a vision, Christ told St. Bridget, In accordance with his surname, Thaddeus, the amiable or loving, he will show himself most willing to give help. During the Middle Ages, St. Jude was widely venerated, but perhaps because of the confusion between his name and that of Judas Iscariot, he slipped into temporary obscurity. In the early 20th century, St. Jude Thaddeus was relatively unknown to the general Catholic population in the United States. In 1929, the first devotional services to St. Jude were held by Claretian Fr. James Tort at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in southeast Chicago; before the year ended, the country s only National Shrine of St. Jude would be firmly established. Word of the devotions to St. Jude gradually spread from that tiny corner of Chicago to other parts of the country. During the Great Depression and World War II, thousands of men, women, and children attended novenas at the Shrine; devotion to the patron saint of hopeless causes spread throughout the country.