Daily prayer
to St. Jude

O kindSaint-Jude, our faithful intercessor to Jesus, receive the following special intentions : to present them to the Almighty Lord, Root of all good. Above all, grant us an increase of our faith in His love. May each day find us closer in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. KindSaint-Jude, you who has revived hope in our hearts, you whose model merits and life bring us the divine blessings and graces, be our advocate, and lead us to Jesus and Mary. With you, blessed apostle, we give thanks and praise God with all our heart for His innumerable kindnesses. Amen.

The Monthly Note

Solemn Novena of October 2018

Dear Friend of St. Jude,

As new Director, we do not know each other yet, but already we can call ourselves friends, if it is true, as the saying goes that "the friends of my friends are my friends".

I left Japan after working for 32 years, including 25 as parish priest at Kita-Sendai Parish, including 20 years as Director of a kindergarten in Haramachi, Fukushima Prefecture. I have been serving this parish for 18 years. Big chunks of life!

My departure coincided with the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the arrival of the Canadian Dominicans in Japan. What happiness it was for me to list in this beautiful story! The same day, as if to mark the fruitfulness of the missionary work, three young people were baptized.

Last June, I attended the Dominicans’ Provincial Chapter in Ottawa. Brother John Doutre, elected Prior Provincial, asked me to be his "socius", a Latin word that the Dominican tradition has included in his current vocabulary. For example, before Vatican II, a brother could not leave the convent without a brother accompanying him, his "socius". The socius, by his presence, reminds the Prior Provincial that he is not alone, that he was elected by the brothers and for the brothers and that they are there to support him in his task.

I hope that the Friends of St. Jude will also become my "socius"! With your support, I would like to serve the Apostolic Works of St. Jude with the same zeal and dedication as my predecessor, Br Henri de Longchamp.

Be assured of my fraternal prayers, those of my team, Mrs. Gisèle Hébert and Mr. Tony Cicci, as well as those of the "Praying Team of St. Jude", every day of the novena and every Thursday of the year.

Br Raymond Latour, O.P., Director