Long line forms at first Orange County stop in tour of St. Jude relic
By Orange County on April 30, 2024
A relic of St. Jude is being displayed at four Orange County Catholic churches this week, during a tour of the United States that marks the first time it has left Italy.
The relic is a bone fragment that is encased in a wooden reliquary carved in the form of an arm appearing to give a blessing; Catholic Church officials say the bone piece was separated several centuries ago from St. Jude Thaddeus’ remains laid to rest at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Melannie Rivamonte holds pictures of her family against the glass during a visit to the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Myriam Forero visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Theresa Sniadowski pauses while visiting the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tim O’Shea visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Susana Lepe holds her rosary as she visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fr. Charbel Grbavac, from St. Michael’s Abbey, visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A beliver visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Duan Nguyen visits the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Maria V. Zamora Valladares holds on to her rosary after visiting the relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Keychains of St. Jude Thaddeus are for sale while his first-class relic is on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The relic of St. Jude Thaddeus on display at Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, CA, on Monday, April 29, 2024. The relic of St. Jude, a bone from his arm, is normally housed at a Roman parish near Vatican City. It’s going through Orange County as part of a national tour of more than 100 cities. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
St. Jude the Apostle, a cousin of Jesus, is one of the most venerated of the saints and is one “people turn to when desperate, having tried everything else, feeling lost or hopeless,” church officials said.
And in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, officials hope the relic’s pilgrimage to the United States will offer comfort, Fr. Carlos Martins, who organized the tour that is passing through more than 100 American cities, said in a statement.
“Many still grieve a loved one claimed by the virus, numerous folks suffer the effects of long COVID and other pandemic-related medical conditions. Long-term isolation has led to depression for many and deterioration in mental health,” he said. “The Apostle’s visit is an effort by the Catholic Church to give comfort and hope to all who need it.”
A large crowd is expected at the Christ Cathedral on Tuesday, April 30, where the relic will be on display from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Diocese of Orange officials said. On Wednesday, May 1, it will be on display at Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic Church in Huntington Beach from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Thursday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in La Habra, during the same hours.
During Monday’s visit to Santiago de Compostela Catholic Church in Lake Forest, Fr. Al Baca, director of the diocese’s Office of Ecumenism and Inter-religion, which is sponsoring the event, said he saw people of all ages in the long line that had formed as people waited their turn to stand before the large glass case holding the wooden reliquary.
Many bowed their foreheads toward the relic, placing their hands to the glass. They held prayer cards, rosaries, photos of loved ones and other items to the glass to receive a blessing.
“It is really quite beautiful,” Baca said. “It is really inspiring.
“When you are talking about a saint like St. Jude, people know this is the cousin of Jesus,” he added. “That just brings it home, because it is what they know from the Bible.”
The relic will also visit an Armenian orthodox church while in Orange County, Baca said. Sharing the opportunity was another reason he said he asked for permission to invite the tour to stop here.
“Like us, they venerate the saints and they believe that relics are a tangible channel of God’s grace and healing,” he said.
Melannie Rivamonte said she couldn’t afford to travel to visit holy sites, but this brought an opportunity closer to home. As she bowed her head in veneration before the display, she held several photographs in her hand.
“I thought of a lot of people I wanted to pray for,” she said. “A lot of people in my family, a lot of people who passed away already, and also for myself.”
Steve Rapp visited the Lake Forest church from Hemet.
“I’ve worn St. Jude medals almost all my life,” he said, his voice catching as he described how “very special” the visit had been for him. “This is as close on this earth I’m ever going to get to Jesus. It’s very, very moving and very important to us.”
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