St. Jude relic transferred to Catholic Diocese of Memphis

Megan Fayard
·2 min read
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A relic of Saint Jude Thaddeus the Apostle was moved from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where it was stored for decades, to its new home with the Catholic Diocese of Memphis.

The relic, a tiny bone chip removed from the body of the apostle and embedded in a small cross, was transferred to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Tuesday.

  • Relic of St. Jude Thaddeus (Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
    Relic of St. Jude Thaddeus (Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
  • Relic of St. Jude Thaddeus (Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
    Relic of St. Jude Thaddeus (Courtesy of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

In a press release, St. Jude said the hospital received the relic as a donation. It was tucked away for decades in the office of St. Jude Spiritual Care Services for safe keeping.

Another relic of St. Jude Thaddeus was displayed at Immaculate Conception in March of this year, reminding Mark Brown, the current director of Spiritual Care Services of the relic at St. Jude.

“I explored options with hospital leadership for displaying the relic on campus, but a good option could not be found,” Brown said. “They suggested offering it to the Cathedral.”

Father Robert Szczechura, pastor of the Immaculate Conception parish, along with Father Horst Lorenz, associate Pastor, went to the St. Jude campus to receive the relic.

Reports say the church plans to incorporate the relic into their weekly practice of novenas, where parishioners say group prayers that include concerns for St. Jude patients.

The significance of the relic to St. Jude Hospital goes back to when founder Danny Thomas was a struggling young entertainer. He allegedly sought guidance from St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of hopeless causes.

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“Success followed Danny’s plea, and he set about fulfilling a vow he made to the saint. The result was St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said St. Jude in a press release.

The relic was certified in 1962 by the office of Cardinal Clemente Micara, the vicar general of Rome.

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