Saint Jude the Apostle

Saint Jude the Apostle, also known as Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ and the author of the Epistle of Jude in the New Testament. He is the brother of Saint James the Less and a kinsman of the Lord, being the son of Alphaeus and Mary of Cleopas.

After Pentecost, Saint Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumea, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia, often together with the Apostle Simon the Zealot. He is venerated throughout the Orthodox Church as a great preacher and martyr, having suffered martyrdom for his witness to Christ.

In the Western tradition, Saint Jude is widely venerated as the patron of hopeless causes and desperate situations, a devotion rooted in his powerful intercession. In the Orthodox Church he is commemorated on June 19 (with the Apostle Simon) and on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers. Browse our handcrafted Orthodox icons and devotional items honoring Saint Jude the Apostle, made in our Ohio workshop using traditional Byzantine embroidery techniques.