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| St. Jude's window. |
St. Jude was also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. He was possibly the brother of St. James the Less, and therefore related to Jesus in some capacity. Jude (Thaddeus) and his fellow Apostle Bartholomew are the patron saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Jude is also the patron saint of lost causes and desperate situations (I have certainly sent a few prayers in his direction in my lifetime). In addition to all of this, Jude is the patron saint of hospitals.
As an apostle, very little is known about Jude. Actually, very little is known about any Apostle, for that matter. There weren't necessarily twelve of them, for instance. There are several names associated with many apostles; these may very well have been several distinct individuals. The early church simply didn't keep precise records. The multiple names for Jude may have been an attempt to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. Unless we dig up an ID card with an actual picture, I guess we'll have to be content with what we have.
What is known about Jude is that he partnered with St. Simon (the Zealot) and preached throughout Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Libya. Last but not least, a fellow named Nicephorus Callistus claimed that Jude Thaddeus was the bridegroom at the wedding in Cana. However, Mr. Callistus is also known for plagiarizing other people's work and citing documentation has conveniently been lost to everyone else, so his claims cannot be substantiated.
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