A Letter from Fr. Mike
Dear Friends,
For those friends of the Dominican Shrine of St. Jude and of the Central Province Dominicans who remember receiving the Chronicle of St. Jude in the mail, I have great news. The Chronicle will now be offered on-line and can be delivered to you via e-mail. We hope to be able to provide this to you soon.
In order to subscribe to the online Chronicle we will need you to provide us with your email address below.
For those of you who have forgotten what information the Chronicle provided, here is what we offer:
- A letter from the Shrine”s spiritual Director discussing interesting aspects of our ministry here at the Shrine including intercessory prayer and devotions. Many of you remember the passionate letters from Fr. Bede, Fr. Matt, Fr. Jim, and Fr. Robert. Look for similar writings to return.
- A schedule of Shrine Events
- And, the part of the letter which I think is the most exciting, the witness and testimonials of how people believe St. Jude’s intercession has helped them in the “Friends of St. Jude Report.”
Of course we are going to need your help and input for The Report. How has St. Jude helped you? Please share with us the ways that your prayers to St. Jude have obtained favors from our Gracious God. Your giving thanks to God can encourage others in their times of trial.
Until then, here are a few examples from past years that were never published, in response to the question above:
“In 1962, I was dying in St. Joseph Hospital, Joliet. I prayed to St. Jude and St. Martin DePorres. My family prayed at your Church,”(St. Pius, the location of the Shrine, which also has an altar to St. Martin). “I am still here at the age 91 and they are still ‘my Saints.’”
“40 + years ago I started praying to St. Jude for my husband, diagnosed with malignant melanoma – He’s still going strong at age 82 – in better health than me!!!”
“I had toxemia of pregnancy. Son born prematurely. Dr. did not expect us live. My son will be 50 next month!!”
“My son Robert had leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant. He found a donor and the transplant was a success. From the start of his illness I prayed to St. Jude. That was ten years ago. I’m still praying thanks to God and St. Jude for answering my prayers. D. B.”
As I type these few lines, I am looking at stack of over 200 such examples of the power of intercessory prayer. Will you help us spread the word? Invite your friends to subscribe to the Chronicle or even Friend the Shrine of Facebook.
Thank you for letting pray with you and for you as the Director of the Dominican Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus. Keep an eye out for the exciting things that will come from The Chronicle Of St. Jude.
Yours in Christ and St. Jude,
Fr. Mike Ford, O.P.
