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Saint Jude Thaddeus
19 June ( Eastern Church )
Profile
Son of Cleophas, who died a martyr , and Mary who stood at the foot of the Cross, and who annointed Christ’s body after death . Brother of Saint James the Lesser . Nephew of Mary and Joseph ; blood relative of Jesus Christ, and reported to look a lot like him. May have been a fisherman . Apostle .
Wrote the canonical Epistle named for him. Preached in Syria , Mesopotamia, and Persia with Saint Simon . Healer . Exorcist . Could exorcise pagan idols , which caused the demons to flee and the statues to crumble.
His patronage of lost or impossible causes traditionally derives from confusion by many early Christians between Jude and the traitor Judas Iscariot; not understanding the difference between the names, they never prayed for Jude’s help, and devotion to him became something of a lost cause.