Apostle jude thaddeus biography

Patron Saint

The tradition of devotion to St. Jude goes beyond a simple Bible story; in fact, it is a reflection of the ability of ordinary people to call upon their powerful faith to triumph over seemingly impossible odds in their daily lives.

Legend has it that St.

Jude was born into a Jewish family in Paneas, a town in the Galilee portion of ancient Palestine, the same region that Jesus grew up in. He probably spoke Greek and Aramaic, like many of his contemporaries in that area, and he was a farmer (as many of his family were) by trade.

Jude was described by St.

Matthew (13:55) as being one of the “brethren” of Jesus (the Hebrew word for “brethren” indicates a blood relationship of some sort). Jude’s mother, Mary, was referred to as a cousin of Jesus’ mother Mary, while his father, Cleophas, was the brother of St.

Joseph. Jude had several brothers, including St. James, who was another of the original Apostles. His own first name, “Jud