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