Major relic of St. Jude, the 'apostle of the impossible,' to visit Detroit Oct. 13-17

Five-day stop is part of nationwide tour of major relic — a large arm bone — of first-century saint who walked with Jesus Christ

DETROIT — A major relic of one of Jesus’ twelve apostles will stop in the Archdiocese of Detroit for five days of public veneration next month.

The relic of St. Jude Thaddeus — a large piece of an arm bone believed to be the apostle’s — will be available for Catholics to visit, pray with and venerate Oct. 13-17, hosted by five different southeast Michigan parishes, one per day over that span.

The relic is visiting the United States for the first time ever as part of a nationwide pilgrimage sponsored by Treasures of the Church, an apostolate that brings relics to parishes and dioceses all over the world. The nine-month tour, which is scheduled into 2024, will visit dioceses in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, with further stops to be announced.

Treasures of the Church is run by Fr. Carlos Martins, a Companions of the Cross priest based in Detroit.

During the Michigan visit, the relic will be available for veneration at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak (Oct. 13), Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer (Oct. 14), St. Andrew Parish in Rochester (Oct. 15), the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit (Oct. 16), and Divine Child Parish in Dearborn (Oct. 17).

Each parish will host veneration and a special Mass. More details are available here.

In a video announcing the pilgrimage, Fr. Martins said the Holy See asked the apostolate to sponsor the relic, which has been venerated in Rome “since ancient times,” Fr. Martins said.

St. Jude has been known for centuries as the “patron of hopeless causes,” a powerful intercessor whose favors are well documented. One notable example is the favor granted to Danny Thomas, a down-on-his-luck actor who founded St. Jude Children’s Hospital in thanksgiving after praying before a relic of St. Jude in Detroit.

The relic Thomas venerated is now believed to be housed at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer, one of the host sites for the Michigan pilgrimage.

“St. Jude is one of the Church’s most beloved saints,” Fr. Martins said. “His intercessory power with God and his uncanny ability to come through with a happy resolution to the petitions presented to him has earned him the nickname ‘the apostle of the impossible.’ More than any other saint, St. Jude is the saint to whom people turn when they are hopeless and have tried everything else to obtain a heavenly favor. St. Jude is one to whom people turn for hope.”

St. Jude Thaddeus is one of the original twelve apostles of Christ, and some Catholic tradition identifies him as a cousin of Jesus (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3). After Jesus’ ascension, traditions holds that St. Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya, suffering martyrdom in 65 A.D. while preaching near modern-day Beirut, Lebanon. He is often depicted in art with another apostle, St. Simon the Zealot, with whom he is believed to have been killed.

The Church’s tradition of venerating relics goes back to ancient times, when the early Christians would gather the bones of apostles and martyrs, many of whom were known in life to perform miracles and heal the sick through God’s power (Acts 5:15).

The visit of St. Jude’s arm to the Archdiocese of Detroit is an extraordinary opportunity to receive grace through the intercession of a man who literally walked with Jesus, said Fr. Mario Amore, director of the archdiocese’s Department of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship.

“We are grateful for Fr. Martins’ initiative to bring the extraordinary pilgrimage of the major relic of St. Jude to the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is a wonderful opportunity for the faithful to encounter the ‘Apostle of the Impossible,’” Fr. Amore said. “While this relic physically puts us in contact with the person of St. Jude, one of the Twelve, the Church venerates relics to connect us to the person of Christ, whose companion Jude was in every sense of the word.”

Throughout the centuries, St. Jude’s affiliation as the saint of “impossible causes” developed out of an abundance of stories linking the apostle with those whose lot in life seemed beyond repair.

“While stories vary as to the reason, St. Jude is one of the most revered of all the Apostles because of his association with ‘hopeless causes,’” Fr. Amore said. “He has proven to be a powerful intercessor for even the most desperate of cases, and I am confident that many healings will occur here in the Archdiocese of Detroit as a result of this sacred time of pilgrimage.

“I invite and encourage all to take part in this unique opportunity to reflect upon the life of St. Jude and how God used him to bring many souls to salvation,” Fr. Amore added.

Pilgrims who visit and venerate St. Jude’s relic can receive a plenary indulgence issued by Pope Francis. An indulgence is a full or partial remission of the temporal punishment due to sin that has been forgiven in the sacrament of confession. In order to receive an indulgence, the faithful must have recently been absolved in sacramental confession, receive holy Communion, be detached from sin and pray for the intentions of the pope.

“St. Jude’s visit provides an opportunity for individuals to experience intimacy and connection to one who, like us, struggled with life’s challenges but now beholds God face to face. It is an opportunity to meet him, to entrust him with our needs and petitions, and receive his blessing,” Fr. Martins said.

“For 2,000 years, one saint has symbolized the unstoppable power of heavenly intercession. Come and feel his transformative presence. Come and see what St. Jude has in store for you.”