Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus: the novena, the 28th, and how to pray it
If there was a picture of a man in a green robe holding a staff in your grandmother's house, you already know St. Jude Thaddeus. She probably called him San Juditas, and she probably went to him when things were at their worst.
This page has his prayers in English and in Spanish, and — more importantly — how to actually pray them. Many people find the words and then stop, because nobody ever told them what comes next.
Who St. Jude Thaddeus is
He was one of the twelve apostles. In the Gospels he's called Jude, or Thaddeus, and he's carefully distinguished from Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus.
That confusion is the reason he became the patron of desperate cases. For centuries people avoided praying to him because of the name, so the tradition grew that he answers quickly — he's the one nobody else was asking. Whether or not that's how it happened, it's why he carries the cases that have run out of options.
The prayers you'll need
Most devotions are built out of four short prayers. If you grew up hearing them in Spanish and never learned them in English, here are both. Either language works — pray in the one that feels like yours.
The Sign of the Cross
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo. Amén.
The Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Padre nuestro, que estás en el cielo…
The Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia…
The Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Gloria al Padre, y al Hijo, y al Espíritu Santo…
How to pray to St. Jude
St. Jude's devotion has its own pattern, and it isn't the rosary decade people use for Marian prayers. It's called los tres y tres: three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys and three Glory Bes, one set for each person of the Trinity.
Praying to St. Jude, step by step
- Light a candle if you have one. Green is the traditional color for him.
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Say out loud what you're asking for, and who it's for. Name the person.
- Pray the main prayer to St. Jude, below.
- Pray three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys and three Glory Bes — the tres y tres, in honor of the Holy Trinity.
- Close with the short invocation: St. Jude Thaddeus, apostle and martyr, pray for us. Say it three times.
- Make the Sign of the Cross again.
If you only have a minute — in the car, on a break at work — the invocation three times is enough. The devotion is about returning to it, not about getting the sequence perfect.
Prayer to St. Jude Thaddeus for desperate cases
Most holy apostle St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus: the Church honors and invokes you universally as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, who am so helpless and alone. Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need, that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations and sufferings, and that I may praise God with you always. Amen.
Santísimo apóstol San Judas, siervo fiel y amigo de Jesús: la Iglesia te honra e invoca universalmente como el patrón de los casos difíciles y desesperados. Ruega por mí, que me siento tan solo y sin ayuda. Haz uso, te lo suplico, de ese privilegio particular que se te ha concedido, de socorrer pronto y visiblemente cuando casi se ha perdido toda esperanza. Amén.
Prayer to St. Jude for an urgent need
St. Jude, apostle of Christ and martyr, I come to you today because I don't know where else to go. You know what I'm carrying. You know how long I've been carrying it. Ask God for me — not for what I think I need, but for what He knows I need. Give me patience while the answer comes, and the strength not to let go of my faith while I wait. Amen.
A short ritual when it's urgent
- Make the Sign of the Cross.
- Say the need out loud, in one sentence, as plainly as you can.
- Pray the urgent prayer above.
- One Our Father, one Hail Mary, one Glory Be.
- St. Jude Thaddeus, apostle and martyr, pray for us. Three times.
Asking for someone who is sick goes alongside their treatment, never instead of it.
The novena to St. Jude
A novena is nine days of prayer in a row. For his feast on October 28, you start on October 20 so the ninth day lands on the feast itself. You can also pray a novena at any time of year when something specific is weighing on you.
Each day follows the same shape: Sign of the Cross, name your intention, the main prayer, the tres y tres, and the invocation three times. Many people give each day a different focus — the first for the intention itself, then for patience, for the family affected, for the people who have helped, for those with the same problem, and so on through the ninth.
October 28 and the 28th of every month
October 28 is his feast day — the calendar actually celebrates Saints Simon and Jude together. In Mexico City, the church of San Hipólito fills from before dawn with people carrying statues of him, and in parishes across Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio and New York the Spanish-language Masses that day are among the fullest of the year.
There's also a smaller custom worth knowing: the 28th of every month is kept as his day. For people who can't get to a church, it's a way of staying in the habit all year instead of only in October.
What people ask St. Jude for
Work, when the hours get cut or the job disappears. Health, when a diagnosis comes back worse than expected. A son or daughter who stopped calling. Debts that don't move. And very often, in Spanish-speaking parishes in this country, immigration paperwork — a case that has been pending for years, a hearing date, a family waiting on the other side of a decision.
He's the saint people reach for when the ordinary channels have been tried and haven't worked. That's the whole shape of the devotion.
What the image means
The flame above his head is Pentecost — the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles. The medallion on his chest carries the face of Jesus, from the old story of the image sent to King Abgar. The staff or club is how he was martyred. The green of his robe is why green candles are the ones sold for him.
Frequently asked questions
How many Our Fathers do you pray to St. Jude?
Three — with three Hail Marys and three Glory Bes. That's the tres y tres.
Is St. Jude the same as Judas?
No. Jude Thaddeus is an apostle and a martyr. Judas Iscariot is the one who betrayed Jesus. Different men, and the Gospels take care to separate them.
What color candle do you use?
Green is traditional. It isn't required — a plain white candle, or none at all, takes nothing away from the prayer.
Do I have to pray in Spanish?
No. Pray in whichever language you actually think in. If you want the words your grandmother used, they're above in Spanish.
When does the novena start?
October 20, so that the ninth day falls on October 28.
Does praying to a saint mean worshipping him?
No. You're asking him to pray to God with you, the way you'd ask a friend to keep you in their prayers. Worship belongs to God alone.
If you would rather pray this in Spanish, or want to send it to someone who does, the full Spanish version of this page — with the novena day by day — is here.