The Story of St. Jude
St. Jude was St. James' brother —both of whom were Jesus' cousins.
Following the death and resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Spirit at the Pentecost, St. Jude preached the Good News of Jesus throughout Mesopotamia (Iraq), Persia (Iran), Turkey, and Libya. Tradition tells us that he was martyred in 65 A.D.
During a time when early Christians were besieged by persecution and by those who taught heresy, he wrote an epistle in which he enjoined Christians to "use your most holy faith as your foundation and build on that, praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves within the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you eternal life...Glory be to him who can keep you from falling and bring you safe to his glorious presence, innocent and happy."
It is said that this epistle of hope and encouragement inspired devotion to St. Jude, which has continued since the Middle Ages.