Patron of desperate cases

For situations that have gone past hope.

St. Jude Thaddeus, apostle and cousin of the Lord, became the patron of hopeless causes largely because nobody invoked him — his name was too close to Judas Iscariot’s. The tradition holds that he answers with particular readiness because for centuries so few asked. He is turned to when everything else has been tried.

The Prayer

Most holy apostle, Saint Jude,
faithful servant and friend of Jesus,
the Church honours and invokes you universally
as the patron of difficult and desperate cases.

Pray for me, who am so helpless and alone.
Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you,
to bring visible and speedy help
where help is almost despaired of.

Come to my assistance in this great need,
that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven
in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings,
particularly [name your intention],
and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever.

I promise, O blessed Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour,
to always honour you as my special and powerful patron,
and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.

How to Pray the Novena

• Pray the prayer above once a day for nine consecutive days.
• Name your intention plainly each day.
• Many add an Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
• His feast is 28 October, shared with St. Simon — a natural day to end a novena.

About This Novena

You may have seen the printed classified notices — thanks to St. Jude for favours received — that once filled the back pages of newspapers. They come from the last line of this prayer, the promise to encourage devotion. Whatever one makes of the custom, it records a great many people who believed they had been heard.

Ignore versions of this novena that demand publication in a newspaper as a condition of being answered. Gratitude freely given is the point; a fee is not.