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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the National Shrine of St. Jude?
Founded in 1929 by the Claretian Missionaries, the National Shrine of St. Jude and the St. Jude League bring together hundreds of thousands of devotees in a community of prayer and hope. The faithful around the world send the Claretians their stories of hope and their special intentions. They also flock to Solemn Novenas to St. Jude, which take place five times each year at the National Shrine of St. Jude on Chicago’s South Side.

The National Shrine of St. Jude is located at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 3200 E. 91st Street in Chicago. All correspondence should be sent to the St. Jude League, 205 W. Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

To read more about the history of the National Shrine of St. Jude, click here.

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What is the schedule at the National Shrine of St. Jude?

Weekly Devotions and five solemn Novena services are celebrated at the National Shrine of St. Jude. They are scheduled as follows:

Weekly Devotion to St. Jude
Weekly Devotions to St. Jude take place every Wednesday at the National Shrine of St. Jude at 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Solemn Novenas to St. Jude

  • February Solemn Novena, February 11 - 19, 2012
  • May Solemn Novena, April 28 - May 6, 2012
  • June Solemn Novena, June 16 - 24, 2012
  • August Solemn Novena, August 18 - 26, 2012
  • October Solemn Novena, October 20 - 28, 2012

Novena Services take place Monday through Saturday at the National Shrine of St. Jude at 2:00 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. (Spanish), and on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. (Spanish)

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What is the St. Jude League?
The St. Jude League unites thousands of the faithful around the world who share a devotion to St. Jude. Our prayers are strengthened when they are joined with so many others and with the intercession of St. Jude. Consider becoming a member of the St. Jude League—click here. As a member of the St. Jude League, you enjoy the following benefits:

Your prayers are joined with thousands of others through the St. Jude League community.

Your intentions are remembered in a daily Mass at the National Shrine of St. Jude.

Your intentions are also included in the Masses and prayers that the Claretian Missionaries offer in more than 60 countries on behalf of their generous benefactors.

You receive information through the mail on the five Solemn Novenas to St. Jude each year so you can participate, wherever you may be.

You receive opportunities to express you devotion and spread the hope of St. Jude to others. These include: Christmas cards, the St. Jude calendar, all-occasion note cards, and Healing Prayer booklets.

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Who are the Claretians?
Learn more about the Claretians at http://www.claretians.org/

The Claretians are a Roman Catholic religious community of priests and brothers. We are dedicated to the mission of living and spreading the Gospel of Jesus.

We do this by living together in community and serving in a variety of ministries devoted to social concerns and issues of justice, peace, and the environment. Our work includes parishes, foreign missions, and publishing; we also have a commitment to reach out to young people, from summer camps and college campuses to the inner city.

The Claretians are committed to seeing the world through the eyes of the poor. We strive to respond to the most urgent and timely needs, using all means possible to care for the spiritual and material needs of others. We give special attention to the needs of recent immigrants, youth and families, leadership training, and spiritual renewal.

The Claretians were founded by Saint Anthony Claret in 1849. A man on fire with God’s love, Claret embodied the special charisms of community, mission, evangelization, and spirituality. The flame is our logo, a symbol of the passion and zeal that are part of Claret’s legacy.

As vowed religious we live celibate lives, share material goods, and are ready to be sent on any mission. More than 3,000 Claretian priests and brothers form this community dedicated to evangelization around the world. We minister in over 60 countries on six continents.

We look to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, with special devotion and inspiration. She is our model who listened to God’s Word, pondered it in her heart, and actively committed herself to furthering the Kingdom of God. Our official title is the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but we are popularly known as The Claretians.

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How will my donation be spent?
Contributions to the National Shrine of St. Jude are used to spread devotion to our patron, St. Jude, and to support the apostolic work of the Claretian ministries in more than 60 countries. The gifts the Claretians give back in ministry include serving people of all ages and economic backgrounds so that they might find the presence of God in their lives, and so that they might have the most important basic human needs of health care, education, food, and spiritual guidance. Our life-giving ministries include:

The Claretians: Approximately 3,000 priests and brothers serve in more than 60 countries, reaching out to the poor, to youth and their families, and use their resources to assist the ministries of others in the church. Find out more at http://www.claretians.org/

Immigrants: Claretians have a special dedication to working with immigrants, especially Hispanics. Known for their welcoming manner with people of all cultures, the parishes where Claretians minister are often seen as a haven where newcomers can feel at home. Eastern Province Claretians work in Chicago, Georgia, Missouri, and New Jersey to help immigrants meet their material, social, and spiritual needs.

Youth Ministry: Reaching out to the young, especially those at a disadvantage, is a high priority for the Claretians. In Chicago they founded an alternative school for students who otherwise might not earn their diploma. The Claretians are concerned with providing opportunities for education, recreation, and social activities, as well as spiritual guidance to steer young people away from the lure of gangs. They are also active on college campuses and sponsor year-long volunteers and a summer ministry program devoted to work with children.

Foreign missions: Now the U.S. Eastern Province Claretians have turned their missionary spirit to new parts of the world, Jamaica and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, as missions abroad have always been an important part of the Province’s work.

National Shrine of St. Jude: In 1929 the Claretians founded the National Shrine of St. Jude in Our Lady of Guadalupe church on Chicago's South Side as a place of hope for a community hit hard by the depression. Today the National Shrine of St. Jude is a worldwide congregation uniting devotion to St. Jude.

Claret Center: The Claret Center in Chicago is a rich resource for spiritual development. Claretians work with other trained professionals to accompany people on their faith journey through workshops, retreats, and consultation.

Publications: Following in Saint Anthony Claret's footsteps, the Claretians continue to be active in publishing. They publish the award-winning magazine U.S. Catholic, which celebrates Catholic life and serves as a forum for lay Catholics. They also publish several award-winning newsletters, including Word One, on spirituality in action; Context, on the interaction of religion and culture by world-renowned church historian Martin E. Marty; and At Home with Our Faith for families who want to nurture spirituality. The newsletters can be found online at claretianpubs.org

Social Justice: The Claretians bring the charism of social justice to all of their ministries. The men and women who work at the 8th Day Center are especially devoted to issues of justice, peace, and the environment. They provide a critical alternative voice that calls Catholics to work for a more just world. Find them at http://www.8thdaycenter.org/.

Parishes: While Claretians engage in a variety of ministries from foreign missions to publishing, they do not forget that their founder, Saint Anthony Claret, was a preacher of parish renewal as well as a missionary, author, and publisher. At the request of various bishops and in response to urgent needs across the country the Claretians of the Eastern Province in the United States staff six parishes. Just as their founder Saint Anthony Claret worked for justice in his time, the Claretians bring their missionary zeal and dedication to each of their parishes. They reach out to the surrounding community and work with parishioners, residents, and civic organizations to help foster strong communities.

Springfield, Missouri: Sacred Heart is a "country church in the middle of the city." Catholics are a minority in Springfield, but this helps create a close-knit parish. Lay leaders take roles in part-time positions as coordinators of RCIA, religious education, and youth ministry.

Designated the "welcoming parish" for Hispanics in the archdiocese, Sacred Heart's weekly Mass in Spanish attracts people from a 50-mile radius. The parish was once largely Irish and Bohemian, but now is becoming a multi-ethnic family.

Perth Amboy, New Jersey: Our Lady of Fatima Parish was founded by the Claretians in 1940 and was the first Hispanic church in New Jersey. Today the parish continues to serve immigrants from the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America. The parish also works with other parishes providing shelter, food, and clothing for the homeless in the area.

The parish is known for its evangelization. Trained lay people began making home visits through the parish's neighborhood in the early 1990s and invited people who were not active in the church to take part in weekend retreats. The program led to larger Mass attendance and greater participation in the parish. Youth leaders also reach out to their peers through retreats and an intramural basketball league.

Stone Mountain, Georgia: The Claretians began staffing Corpus Christi Church in 1992. Corpus Christi pastor, Father Greg Kenny, C.M.F., says parishioners grow spiritually by sharing their faith with others, caring for the poor through the St. Vincent de Paul Society, working with other churches, and praying in the perpetual adoration chapel.

The Claretians collaborate with parishioners to bring together a family Bible study program and adult discussion groups, as well as to plan mission trips to Jamaica. In their first year at the parish, the Claretians began an International Day festival to celebrate the diversity of the parish, which represents more than 40 countries and cultures.

Chicago, Illinois: The Claretians staff two parishes in Chicago: Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Holy Cross/Immaculate Heart of Mary. Both churches serve sizeable Hispanic populations.

The Claretian mission in these parishes is to establish a sense of community for Hispanics, many of whom are recent immigrants. They help both children and adults learn about their faith, while offering a number of social services such as legal and immigration aid, marriage counseling, food pantries, and job assistance.

Claretians at both parishes reach out to the unchurched and those who may not have a strong understanding of the Catholic faith.

An important element in the parishes is youth ministry. The Claretians involve the young people in their neighborhoods through weekly meetings, youth choirs, service projects, and CCD. Both St. Paul's and Our Lady of Guadalupe maintain grade schools. In the Holy Cross/Immaculate Heart of Mary neighborhood, the Claretians founded an alternative school for teenagers who are no longer able to attend public schools. The school keeps kids in classrooms and off the streets.

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Directions to the National Shrine of St. Jude
Please note: The National Shrine of St. Jude is located at 3200 East 91st Street in the South Chicago section of Chicago. The business offices are located at 205 West Monroe Street, downtown Chicago. From the airport:

Airport limousines, cabs, or express buses bring passengers to the downtown or "loop" area of Chicago. From downtown, take one of the following means of transportation to the Shrine:

By car from Chicago’s Loop: Take U.S. 41 (South Shore Outer Drive) to 91st Street, and turn west three blocks. Or take the Dan Ryan (South) Expressway (Interstate 90-94) to the 87th Street exit, east to Commercial Avenue, south to 91st Street, and east to the Shrine. Ample lighted parking is available.

By train from Chicago’s Loop: By train take Metra Electric, formerly the Illinois Central Railroad, South Chicago train to 93rd Street and walk two blocks north and a half a block east.. Trains leave downtown Chicago at frequent intervals and may be boarded at three stations located on Michigan Avenue at Randolph Street, Van Buren Street, and Roosevelt Road. For information call 312-836-7000.

By Chicago Transit Authority: Call CTA Information at 312-836-7000 for specific directions from your locations. Note: There is a scarcity of lodging and dining in the immediate area of the Shrine Church. We recommend that visitors stay in downtown Chicago, where there are many hotels and restaurants.

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Do you have a toll free telephone number?
The National Shrine of St. Jude does not currently have a toll-free, 800 number available. For assistance, please contact us Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at 312-544-8230. Contact us by email at stjudeleague@claretians.org.

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The National Shrine of St. Jude and the St. Jude League are a mission of The Claretians and exist to bring together devotees of St. Jude in a community of prayer and hope.

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