National Shrine of Saint Jude (England) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids National Shrine of Saint Jude, Faversham |
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Tanners Street
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| 51°18′55″N 0°53′03″E / 51.31524°N 0.88424°E | |
| Location | Faversham, Kent |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | http://www.stjudeshrine.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder(s) | Fr Elias Lynch, O.Carm |
| Dedication | Saint Jude |
| Dedicated | 28 October 1955 |
| Relics held | Saint Jude |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Post War/Modern |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Our Lady of Mount Carmel |
| Deanery | Canterbury |
| Archdiocese | Southwark |
The National Shrine of Saint Jude is a special place in Faversham, Kent, England. It's a shrine dedicated to Saint Jude, who is a very important saint. People who are Roman Catholic and other Christians come here to pray and visit. It officially opened in 1955. The shrine is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Southwark and was started by the Order of Carmelites. You can find it on Tanners Street, just west of the town centre.
Contents
History of the Shrine
The oldest building on the church site is an 18th-century house. It was built for a local tanner, who worked with animal hides. Since 1936, this building has been known as "Whitefriars" or the priest's house. It is where the Carmelite community lives. This house is next to the church and the shrine. It is also a Grade II listed building, which means it's a special building protected for its history.
The church building itself dates back to 1861. It was first used as a school room for Quaker girls. These girls were daughters of workers from nearby gunpowder factories. You can still see marks on the walls where the children sharpened their slate pencils!
In 1907, the school closed down. Then, in 1910, a company called East Kent Cinemas bought the building. It became a movie theatre called The Empire Picture Hall. In 1936, the cinema closed. The Carmelites bought it and by 1937, they had turned it into a church. This meant their old church on Plantation Lane could be closed.
Building the Shrine
In 1955, the Shrine of Saint Jude was built right next to the church. This building was made specifically for people to come on a pilgrimage, which is a special journey for religious reasons.
The shrine was officially dedicated on October 28, 1955. Bishop Cyril Cowderoy of Southwark led the dedication. Many other priests and friars were there too. Bishop Cyril said the shrine was "a jewel for the diocese," meaning it was a very precious place for the church area.
Inside the Shrine
The hallway between the church and the shrine has beautiful stained glass windows. These were made by an artist named Richard Joseph King. The windows show important figures from the Carmelite Order.
- One window shows Saint Simon Stock. He was from Kent and became the leader of the Carmelite Order in the 1250s.
- Other windows show Saint Brocard, the prophet Elisha, and the prophet Elijah.
In the inner shrine, there is a statue of the Apostle Jude. It is from the 15th century and is made of gilt (gold-covered) and painted wood. This statue was a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. They gave it to remember their sons, Matthew and Michael, who both died fighting in the Second World War.
The design of the Shrine, including the mosaic apse (a curved part of the building), the ironwork, and the mosaic on the outside, was created by Michael Leigh. He also worked on other churches and some of the mosaics in Westminster Cathedral.
The special container for the relic (a small piece of Saint Jude's bone) is called the Augsberg Reliquary. It is a modern copy of an old silver container from 1547. This reliquary was changed to hold the bone fragment of Saint Jude.
There are also three designs by the artist Adam Kossowski. These include holy water stoops (bowls for holy water) at the entrance and three ceramic plaques.
You can also see icons (religious paintings) of several saints:
- Saint Albert giving the Carmelite 'way of life' (their rules) to Saint Brocard on Mount Carmel.
- Blessed John Soreth and Blessed Françoise d'Amboise.
- Saint Elias Kuriakos Chavara and Blessed Isidore Bakanja.
- Blessed Titus Brandsma and Saint Edith Stein.
The Fire of 2004
In 2004, a fire started in the shrine chapel. The fire destroyed the murals (wall paintings) and damaged many other artworks. Luckily, the windows and ceramic pieces could be fixed. However, the murals were too damaged and had to be replaced.
It was decided to put up new icons (religious paintings) instead of murals. These new icons show saints who were inspired by the Carmelite Rule of Saint Albert. This was done to celebrate 800 years of the Carmelite Rule in 2007. The icons were painted by Sister Petra Clare, a Benedictine hermit from Scotland.
Activities at the Shrine
The Society of the Infant Jesus is connected to the Shrine of the Infant Jesus in Prague. This is where the original statue of Jesus has been honored since the 17th century.
In 2014, the Guild of Saint Jude was started. Its goal is to encourage worship and for members to support the Carmelite Family. They do this through prayer and by providing resources. The Guild also helps to make more people aware of the National Shrine and encourages them to visit.
In 2020, a group called the British Pilgrimage Trust said that the Faversham Shrine was a good meeting place for Anglicans and Catholics. They felt that Saint Jude was a better person to think about than the people who died during the Reformation. Because of this, they highly recommended the Shrine.
During the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Shrine of Saint Jude offered many online activities. These included 'Praying with Saint Jude at home' and a Virtual Feast of Saint Jude. Carmelite friars, regular church members, and others connected to the Shrine took part.
The Shrine holds two main events every year: one in May and another in October, on the feast day of Saint Jude.
Images for kids
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Statue of the Infant of Prague
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Statue of St Jude
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St Simon Stock
