DIRECTOR’S LETTER
Dear Friend of St. Jude,
We often come full circle in the mysteries
of God’s saving help in our lives. As we
pray for help to Saint Jude and our Blessed
Mother, they are constantly reminding
us that God is with us. I was recently
reminded of the surprising connections
that Our Blessed Mother and Saint Jude
work within our lives when I baptized
an infant.
a member of his family. By providing a
place for the Holy Spirit to weave a new
cloth of both divine and human thread in
her womb, Mary, the New Eve, prepares a
pure and unstained garment for us so that
we too may be brought into God’s family.
As friends of the Rosary Shrine of St.
Jude, you are part of our family, and it
is our joy to pray for your intentions
every day.
William Connors Lord carries the maiden
name of his great, great grandmother:
Anna Elizabeth Connors Halligan. Anna
sewed part of her wedding garment into
a christening gown that was worn by all
her children including her son Raymond
who later became a Dominican Friar and
my predecessor as Director of the Rosary
Shrine of St. Jude.
William wore that same gown on the day
of his christening. Father Raymond was
supposed to perform the baptism but he
died less than a month before the big day.
St. Dominic’s church, where I baptized
William, is not only home to the Rosary
Shrine of Saint Jude, it is also the place
where Father Raymond Ferrer Halligan,
O.P., was ordained to the priesthood
and gave his first priestly blessing to
his mother!
As devotees of St. Jude, you know that
his prayer is powerful in part because of
his close relationship with the Lord as
St. Jude Messenger - Volume II, Issue I
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Fr. Gabriel Gillen, O.P.
Director, Rosary Shrine of St. Jude
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