Among the Twelve Apostles, St Jude has often been neglected – partly because we don’t know much about him, partly because people get him mixed up with Judas Iscariot.
But many Catholics are indebted to Jude, traditionally the Patron Saint of Lost Causes (or “of the Impossible”). And in Britain, his devotees make their way to the National Shrine at Faversham, which is attached to a Carmelite church. Many visitors are non-Catholic or even non-Christian, according to development manager Matt Betts.
For the last six months, however, pilgrims have had to squeeze into a smaller space. In May, a storm caused extensive damage to the church’s suspended ceiling, and the lime render has to be completely removed and replaced. The shrine itself remains open, but Mass takes place in the Infant of Prague chapel on weekdays, and in the welcome centre on weekends.
