St. Jude, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, is traditionally identified as “Thaddeus” in the Gospels to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. Little is recorded of him in Scripture apart from being listed among the apostles and asking Jesus at the Last Supper why He would manifest Himself to them and not to the world (John 14:22). After Pentecost, Jude traveled to preach the Gospel, possibly in Mesopotamia, Syria, or Persia, often alongside St. Simon the Zealot (with whom he shares a feast). Ancient tradition holds that Jude was martyred, likely beaten to death with a club or axe around 65 A.D. He is credited as the author of the Epistle of Jude, a short New Testament letter urging Christians to persevere amidst heresies. Due to his New Testament letter and early missionary work, Jude became known as a patron of hopeless or lost causes—some say because his name was so similar to the traitor Judas that people were hesitant to pray for his intercession, and thus devotion to him became a “last resort.” Over time, countless faithful have reported powerful aids after invoking St. Jude in desperate circumstances. He is often depicted with a flame around his head (signifying the Holy Spirit at Pentecost) and carrying an image of Christ’s face (per legend, King Abgar of Edessa was healed by an image of Jesus brought by Jude). St. Jude’s intercession is sought worldwide, and shrines in his honor (like the National Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago) testify to the hope he inspires.