St. Jude Thaddaeus is the patron saint of desperate situations. Long passed over in devotion because his name recalled Judas Iscariot, he became the apostle invoked when a situation seemed past all hope — the “saint of the impossible.” St. Rita of Cascia shares this patronage.
In Catholic tradition, patron saints are holy men and women whose lives and intercession are considered especially suited to particular needs, groups, or situations. The Church's practice of invoking saints reflects the doctrine of the Communion of Saints — the belief that the faithful departed remain united with the living in the one Body of Christ and can intercede before God on our behalf. The designation of a patron saint for “Desperate Situations” reflects centuries of Catholic popular devotion and, in many cases, formal recognition by popes or bishops.
Saint Jude Thaddaeus is invoked as patron of desperate situations. One of the Twelve Apostles, he is named Jude son of James in Luke and Acts and Thaddaeus in Matthew and Mark. The Letter of Jude in the New Testament is ascribed to him, and tradition holds that he preached in Mesopotamia and Persia and there suffered martyrdom; his feast is observed with Saint Simon on October 28. Because the faithful were reluctant to invoke a saint whose name resembled that of the betrayer, devotion to him grew especially among those with no other recourse, so that he is honored as the patron of desperate, hopeless, and impossible causes. Source: catholic.org patron index.
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