Introducing our new on-line shop

Our new on-line shop is live, and we hope that the shop can help us to provide a sense of connectedness with the Shrine. Our shop includes not only a number of religious gifts and souvenirs connected with Saint Jude, but also includes items connected to other important national and Carmelite saints. 

We are offering friends of Saint Jude a 10% discount on anything you buy in our shop from now till the end of September. Simply use the code 1980 in the section called “Discount Code” at the bottom of the Shopping Cart (once you have added your items). Once the code is entered simply click “Apply Coupon”. The first 25 people to use the shop will receive a special gift from the Shrine. See below for an image of this.

All proceeds from the shop go towards the Shrine and the work of the Carmelites in Britain and worldwide.

The Shrine shop can be found at: http ://tinyurl . com/SaintJudeShop

Click on image for a larger size

Donate your old foreign or British notes and coins

Many people often have some old foreign coins and banknotes tucked away somewhere in a drawer. If this is you - we are currently looking for a number of coins from the pre-Euro age and any old British coins/notes that are no longer in circulation:

• Austrian Schilling
• Belgian Francs
• Deutsche Mark
• Dutch Guilders
• French Francs
• German Marks
• Greek Drachmas
• Irish Pounds
• Italian Lira
• Luxembourg Francs
• Maltese Lira
• Portuguese Escudos
• Spanish Pesetas
• Slovenian Tolars
• Old British coins/notes no longer in circulation

If you have any of these, please simply send your coins/notes to Carmelite Friars, P.O. Box 140, Kent, ME20 7SJ. Please make sure you have the correct postage on anything you send us. Or, alternatively, you can bring your old coins and notes to the Shrine. All those who send us some old coins/notes will receive a complimentary prayer card as a thank you, so please make sure you send it with your address.

When we convert the currency, the money will be used for the work of the Shrine and the Carmelites in Britain and abroad. 

Thank you.

Photo of the Month - August 2016

Our Photo of the Month is our display board at the Shrine Information Centre. The new series of display panels  tell visitors the story of the National Shrine of Saint Jude.

The Information Centre also includes letters of congratulations to the Shrine on its Diamond Jubilee which have been received from Buckingham Palace, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, the then Mayor of Faversham, and the Prior General of the Carmelite Order in Rome.

Back in October last year, we invited the Archbishop of Southwark and the Mayor of Faversham to visit the newly-renovated Shrine Information Centre which provides a welcome to pilgrims throughout the year. The Archbishop of Southwark officially opened the Centre. Photos of the visit can be seen below.

Pilgrims are very welcome to visit our Shrine Information Centre. Open on Monday to Friday during June until September. The Shrine Information Centre includes the beautiful statue of Saint Jude by Adam Kossowski. All welcome.

Novena to Saint Jude

The following novena recently published in Carmelite News and from the National Shrine of Saint Jude is for nine days.

Our novena to Saint Jude is below and can be prayed over the next nine days until 12 August 2016. You can pray the novena in private, with your friends or family, or in a group:

Jesus, I praise you and bless you

And give you thanks for

all the graces and privileges

you have bestowed upon

your chosen apostle Saint Jude...

 (Make your special request now)

Loving God,

who revealed to Saint Jude

your desire to come to us,

and share your life with us,

open our hearts

so that your Spirit may teach us your truth,

and that keeping your commandments

we may know your abiding presence. 

Our new statue of Saint Jude was recently handed to Pope Francis in Rome, see here for more details.

Feast of Blessed Titus Brandsma

Today, we remember the Carmelite martyr Titus Brandsma. 

He was born in Bolsward (The Netherlands) in 1881. Became a real scholar in spirituality and mysticism, but bravely spoke up against the Nazi regime about the freedom of the press, the right of life for the Jews and the evil of Nationalism. He was arrested and eventually was killed in Dachau in 1942 by a lethal injection. 

Recently we have prayed to him for all the sick in the parish and beyond. Many had recourse to pray to him for me and, as my health has been rather poorly of late. So, I have decided to pray a novena to him. 

The prayer for his canonisation reads, “Loving God, your servant Titus Brandsma, laboured zealously in your vineyard (i.e.wijnaard!) and gave his life freely because of his faith in you. Through his intercession I ask for your mercy and help. Father, Titus never refused when he was asked for help by your people. In his name, I come to you with my needs [Mention requests]. Lord, help me always to imitate the great faith, generous love, and burning zeal of Titus Brandsma. Glorify your servant as he wished to glorify you. Amen. Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us. Titus Brandsma, Carmelite and Martyr, pray for us. Amen.” 

A couple of days after we have commemorated Titus I will get the results of my recent important CT scan. Your prayers to Titus would be very appreciated.

A beautiful image of Titus can be found at the National Shrine of Saint Jude - the image is below.

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm

Fr Piet is a member of the Faversham community, former chaplain at the Shrine and now Parish Priest at the church 

Icon of Bl. Titus Brandsma (left) and St. Edith Stein (right) in the National Shrine of Saint Jude

Mothers' Mass 2016

Last week, our new Chaplain, Fr. Brendan Grady, O.Carm celebrated our mothers' mass in the Shrine chapel for all the names we received over the last few months.

Fr. Brendan introduced the Mass by telling the congregation that we were praying "for all mothers that they may lead us to Jesus, just like Our Lady did...".

It was a joyous occasion with lots of friends of Saint Jude joining us. Photos from our special shared Mass can be seen below.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

The altar in the chapel at the Shrine

Fr. Brendan welcomes everyone the the special Mass

Fr. Brendan speaks about the importance of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and all mothers

Praying the Our Father

The Chaplain of the Shrine, Fr. Brendan Grady, O.Carm standing in front of the statue of Saint Jude

Future events at the Shrine of Saint Jude - 2016

We have a number of events coming up at the National Shrine of Saint Jude:

Children's Mass

For the first time, a shared Mass will be celebrated at the National Shrine of Saint Jude in honour of the Infant of Prague and all children.Simply add the name(s) of a child with a message on our donation site.

Those listed can be your child, someone else’s child, or a child who has passed away. You can add a name, here.

Anyone is welcome to attend our Mass, which will be celebrated on 23 September 2016 at 11am.


Feast of Saint Jude

Friday 28 October
12.00 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing
16.00 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing

Saturday 29 October
12.00 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing
14.00 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing

Sunday 30 October
12.30 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing
14.30 - Saint Jude Mass with the Blessing of Oil and Anointing

All welcome

Christmas Carols at the Shrine
3 December 2016

Christmas Carols at the Shrine. We will be singing all the great carols in the Shrine of Saint Jude. All our visitors will be able to sing with our musicians.

Mince pies, mulled wine, teas and coffees and fruit juice available. A book stall with lots of fiction and non-fiction will be available too. The whole day will be a great Christmas celebration.

All welcome. Carol singing starts at 2.30pm, but there will be plenty of activities before and after.