Catholic Bible 101 describes St. Jude as the patron saint of the impossible and the helper of the hopeless. Catholics are advised to pray to St. Jude when they are in hopeless or impossible situations. St. Jude's role as patron saint of the impossible traces back to his letter in the New Testament of the Bible, in which he stresses that Christians should persevere in difficult circumstances.
St. Jude, who is also known as Thaddeus, was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ. He preached in Judea, Samaria and Syria, according to Catholic Online. A letter he wrote to the churches in the east, which is included in the Bible as the Book of Jude, speaks of the importance of persevering even when circumstances are harsh.
Less is known of St. Jude than of many of the other apostles. He is, however, known for his role in the Last Supper. At this gathering of Jesus and his apostles, Jude asked Jesus why he did not show himself to the entire world after rising from the dead.
St. Jude is thought to have died as a martyr for the Christian religion. According to Catholic Bible 101, he was brutally beaten before having his head hit with an axe. Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St. Jude on October 28th of each year.
