The Lenten Journey
Dear Friend of St. Jude,
Thank you for your continued kindness to our Pallottine priests and brothers who conduct St. Jude Shrine. As a cherished member of our Circle of Hope, you strengthen our ministry with your deep faith, compassion and generosity. You are a good and faithful servant, and I thank you for inspiring our priests and brothers to embrace Christ’s message to serve the poor.
As a gift of gratitude, I bring you a special invitation, that you’ll let our priests and brothers pray for you during this holy season.
Lent is a time of grace, mercy and hope that unites us more fully to Christ. This 40-day personal journey enables us to rediscover our relationship with Christ through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Pope Francis reminds us that Lent is a time to grow closer to God and become more saint-like. He says, “To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.” Our Lenten obligation, he says, is to spread the good news and bring hope into the lives of those who live in darkness.
I humbly invite you to open your heart to bring the light of Jesus Christ into the lives of others by joining our efforts. You can help us assist those who suffer from poverty, discrimination, abandonment and injustice. I ask for your renewed prayers and financial support that will help us in our ministries in 54 countries around the world. Each time you renew your commitment to our mission, you renew your commitment to Christ by serving the poor He embodies.
During this holy season, I encourage you to ask St. Jude – our beloved Saint of Hopeless Cases – to intercede for you and give you the strength to find hope in the Risen Savior. Please know that you are a special friend and part of our Circle of Hope family, and we are honored to offer you hope and healing through the powerful intercession of St. Jude. Simply send us your prayer intentions. Our priests and brothers will remember your needs in our prayers, Novenas and Masses.
Your Lenten offering will help us serve people who cry out in pain, heartache and despair – people who think they’ve been forgotten and abandoned. Your compassion and generosity will make it possible for our priests and brothers to deliver tangible aid that saves children from starvation and nourishes families with food and clean water… shelters refugees from danger… provides medical care and comfort to the sick… and so much more.
In this journey to Easter and the most joyful event of Christ’s resurrection, let us cherish our Lenten walk with Christ through our personal sacrifices and almsgiving. Please let your Lenten walk be one of giving freely to others in their time of need by sending your gift today.
May this Lent be filled with healing, peace and hope through the intercession of St. Jude and our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Christ, our Crucified and Risen Lord,
Fr. Peter Sticco, S.A.C.
Novena Director
P.S. Please send your prayer requests along with your most generous gift today. I will make sure your prayer requests are remembered in the prayers, Novenas and Masses at our Shrine and in daily Mass that is celebrated on St. Jude’s tomb in the Vatican.