Hopelessly devoted to Jude.What good fortune I have to be the director of two of the Claretians' thriving ministries: Claretian Publications and the St. Jude League. The two are intimately connected, in that U.S. CATHOLIC originally grew out of a devotional de·vo·tion·al adj. Of, relating to, expressive of, or used in devotion, especially of a religious nature. n. A short religious service. de·vo publication called The Voice of St. Jude. It is when I am at our National Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago that I understand why we call it a place of hope and solace. People from all walks of life--young and old, Hispanics, African Americans African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. , Caucasians, Filipinos--flock to the shrine seeking comfort through their devotion to St. Jude, the patron saint patron saint Saint to whose protection and intercession a person, society, church, place, profession, or activity is dedicated. The choice is usually made on the basis of some real or presumed relationship (e.g., St. of seemingly hopeless or difficult cases. Hundreds of thousands of devotees around the world write to us about their devotion; these people form the St. Jude League as a community of believers who pray and journey together toward inner conversion and confidence in a God who walks with us. During this time of war, attendance at the shrine is up, just as it was when the shrine first came into being 75 years ago during the Depression. Parents of soldiers in Iraq write letters and come to the shrine, seeking the peace that so many find in their prayer to St. Jude. I have met people at the solemn novena Solemn Novena is the name of a gothic rock band from Belfast, Northern Ireland. History Solemn Novena formed in early 2006 and are from Belfast, Northern Ireland. services--nine days of prayer five times each year--who have been attending the novenas there for 40 years. Many have terribly difficult challenges in their lives. One letter I recently read from a devotee said that she would "continue to pray to St. Jude with hope, faith, and confidence." This is an expression of what the devotion is all about. This month as we mark the 75th anniversary of the National Shrine of St. Jude and its St. Jude League, we celebrate the steadfast hope and faith that God--and St. Jude--is on our side. For a peek at the roots of this devotion (and of this magazine), check out the archival photos and story by John Kuenster, "St. Jude prays for us" (pages 38-41). Kuenster also is the author of a new book, How Saint Jude Came to Chicago (Claretian Publications). Fast-forward to the present--and possibly history in the making--as the country prepares for next month's presidential election, in which religion and politics seem to be center stage. We offer several political perspectives in this issue of U.S. CATHOLIC, beginning with an interview with Catholic political commentator Mark Shields Mark Shields (born May 25, 1937 in Weymouth, Massachusetts) is an American political pundit who appears frequently on CNN and PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer as a liberal commentator. Shields graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1959. (pages 12-16). Robert J. McClory examines the controversial arena of prolife politics in "Irreconcilable differences The existence of significant differences between a married couple that are so great and beyond resolution as to make the marriage unworkable, and for which the law permits a Divorce. ?" (pages 18-23), while Michael J. Daley argues that "It's a sin not to vote" in Sounding Board (pages 24-28). Finally, Margin Notes columnist Kevin Clarke Kevin Clarke grew up in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Originally a guitarist, he wrote and directed his first play The Jackpot at the Finborough Theatre in 1987; as a result he was invited to join the first BBC Television Writers training course and commissioned to write for a new series has a memo for John Kerry  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. and George Bush (page 35). Our political process may not be hopeless, but a few prayers to St. Jude probably wouldn't hurt. |
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