St. Jude Thaddeus, one of the twelve apostles, is the saint Catholics turn to in desperate situations and cases that seem hopeless. The traditional St. Jude prayer asks for his help “in this great need” and promises to make his name known in gratitude.
Below is the traditional prayer, short prayers, a St. Jude novena, and the story of the apostle behind the devotion.
Prayers to St. Jude
The traditional prayer to St. Jude
Most holy apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honours and invokes you universally as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Please 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 request), and that I may praise God with you and all the saints for ever. I promise, O blessed St. 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.
A prayer to St. Jude for a miracle
St. Jude, apostle of Christ, the doctors and the experts have run out of answers, and I have run out of strength. I ask you to pray for a miracle in this situation, if it is God’s will, and for the faith to trust Him whatever happens. Amen.
Short Prayers
- St. Jude, helper of the hopeless, pray for me.
- St. Jude, pray for (name) in this great need.
- St. Jude, friend of Jesus, do not let me give up.
Novena to St. Jude
A novena is nine consecutive days of prayer for one intention. Each day, pray the main prayer above, name your intention, then pray one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory Be. Many people pray it before his feast on 28 October, and some pray the St. Jude prayer nine times a day for nine days.
Who Was St. Jude?
Jude, also called Thaddeus, was one of the twelve apostles and a relative of Jesus. At the Last Supper he asked Jesus why He would show Himself to the disciples and not to the world (John 14:22). Tradition holds that he preached in Mesopotamia and Persia with St. Simon and was martyred there.
Because his name sounded like Judas Iscariot, few people prayed to him for centuries. Devotion grew around the idea that, being neglected, he would gladly help those whose causes everyone else had given up on. His feast, shared with St. Simon, is 28 October.
Scripture
“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Savior be glory.” Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 (NIV)
Questions People Ask
Why is St. Jude the patron of hopeless cases?
Tradition says that because he was so often confused with Judas Iscariot, few prayed to him, and so he was eager to help in cases others had abandoned. Devotion to him for desperate needs spread widely in the twentieth century.
When is St. Jude’s feast day?
28 October, shared with St. Simon the apostle.
Do I have to publish my thanks to St. Jude?
The traditional prayer promises to spread devotion to him in gratitude. Many people thank him privately or by telling others; there is no obligation to publish anything.
Can I send a prayer to St. Jude through Holy Land Prayer?
We do not send prayers to a shrine of St. Jude. What we do is carry prayers to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem: you can write a prayer asking for this saint’s intercession in the form at the top of this page, and we will place it inside one of the chapels, where a priest prays it in English.
Who Writes These Prayers
The Holy Land Prayer team writes the prayers on this page. Traditional prayers are given in the form used in Catholic devotion. Scripture is quoted from the New International Version.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026 by the Holy Land Prayer team.
Carry a Desperate Case to Jerusalem
Jude was one of the Twelve, and he was in Jerusalem with the other apostles after the Resurrection (Acts 1:13). If you are praying to him about a case that seems beyond help, you can also have your prayer carried to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Write it in the form at the top of this page; we print it, place it in one of the chapels and light a candle for you, and a priest prays it in English. You get photographs of the prayer and the candle by email. See how it works.
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