Saint Jude the Apostle honoured at his National Shrine

Fr Wilfrid McGreal welcomes pilgrims to new Centre

Hundreds of pilgrims visited the National Shrine of Saint Jude the Apostle in Faversham over the weekend. Many more pilgrims are expected on his feast day, 28 October.

The Carmelite Friars at Faversham in Kent have cared for the National Shrine of Saint Jude since its establishment in the first half of the 20th Century.

Throughout the weekend friars celebrated the Eucharist and led pilgrims in devotions. In addition to the local friar community liturgies were led by visiting brothers, including Fr Francis Kemsley, former prior of Faversham.

The pilgrims came not only from Kent but also from London and further afield, to pray to God in the company of and supported by the prayers of Saint Jude, the writer of the Letter of Jude in the New Testament.

In addition to praying in the parish church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and the adjoining Shrine of Saint Jude, this year pilgrims were able to use a new purpose-built Welcome Centre which has been paid for by the generosity of pilgrims. The Prior Provincial, Fr Wilfrid McGreal, thanked those who had come for the feast for their generosity and devotion to Saint Jude and the Carmelites.

The first pilgrims to use the new Welcome Centre were a group of around 150 people from Croydon, south London. The Director of the Shrine of Saint Jude, Fr Piet Wijngaard, celebrated Mass for them on Sunday afternoon

Source: www.carmelite.org