St. Jude

FAQ

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Mario ? Continue below to read a list of popular questions Mario has already answered. If you don't find the answer to your question, ask Mario directly by clicking here.

The Claretians are a Roman Catholic religious community of priests and brothers. We are dedicated to the mission of living and spreading the Gospel of Jesus. Our ministries take us to over 60 countries around the world, where 3,000 of us live and serve. Our publishing ministry is thriving in 12 countries.

Our founder is St. Anthony Mary Claret. He was born in Vic Spain in 1807. He founded the community in 1849. He was canonized as a saint in 1950.

In the United States we have two Claretian provinces, East and West. The Mississippi River is the dividing line between the two provinces. The Eastern province has about 60 members who serve in Illinois, Georgia, Missouri, New Jersey, Mexico, and Jamaica. The Western Province has almost 80 members who serve in California, Arizona, and Texas. Worldwide we have 3,000 members in over 60 countries on five continents.

Our province (USA East) has about 18 students in formation at this time. Several are in their twenties and some are older.

Our house of studies, the formation house, is in Chicago. Our novitiate is also in Chicago.

Claretians are called to be missionaries. We are called to be servants of the Word or evangelizers. As missionaries we are called to use all means possible to bring the Good News of God's love to the world, especially to the poor. We are called to evangelize and be servants of the Word of God responding to the most urgent needs in the most timely and effective manner possible. In our province this means working with immigrants, with youth both in the inner city as well on the university campus, with families, inner city parish work, publications, and foreign missions. We serve both in this country and in other countries. Our province has missions in Mexico and also in Jamaica. We are also a universal congregation and are available to go to any of our other missions.

Claretians live in community and gather in community for mission. There are always three or more Claretians living together. I am part of St. Paul's Community. There are three other priests who live at St. Paul's. I live in Casa Claret, which is across the street, and live in a community of eleven students. The students are in their early twenties. They all are studying and also work.

Religious life is worth it. It is worth it to dedicate your life in this way to God and the world. It is one place to pursue your dreams with passion and commitment and be on a journey centered in God to transform the world. We do this in community with a shared mission to bring God's love to others especially the poor.

The Claretians have a missionary style of ministry. This means that we are ready to go wherever the need is most urgent, which takes us to foreign countries, the inner city, the university, and parishes. We are committed to seeing the world through the eyes of the poor, and to respond using all means possible to care for the spiritual and material needs of others.

Our experience has led us to focus our service on the needs of youth, immigrants, and families. Claretian ministries bring hope through the sacraments, education, medical assistance, and spiritual counsel.

The Claretians consider the work we doat Claretian Publications a ministry like any other work we do. The roots of our publishing ministry come from our founder, Saint Anthony Claret, who published and distributed hundreds of books and pamphlets of his own early in the 19th century. He came to be called the “Modern Apostle of the Good Press.” Out of Claret's zeal to spread the word through writing and publishing, Claretians today are imbued with their own zeal for that ministry in the United States, Brazil, Spain, the Philippines, India, Argentina, and Central America. The mission is always to nurture spirituality and encourage a continuing conversation about faith as it affects and is played out in our lives.

Claretian Father James Tort founded the National Shrine of St. Jude in 1929. The parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe had just begun to build a new church when the Great Depression cost most of the parishioners their jobs. Then, as now, the parish was the center of a Mexican-American community. The people were first attracted to South Chicago by jobs in the steel mills and to Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish by the traditional sympathy of the Claretians for Hispanic cultures. Praying to St. Jude, the patron of causes almost despaired of, the people survived as a community and built their church. They established the Shrine as a national center of prayer and a pillar of support for the Claretians' work in spiritual renewal and social justice in the United States and around the world. The Shrine is located at 3200 E. 91st Street in South Chicago. You'll find more information at http://forms.shrineofstjude.org/ or by calling 312-236-7782.

The Claretians ask you to remember us in your prayers, especially those we minister to and with. We will remember you in our prayers as well. Your prayers and sacrifices help us bring Christ to the poor, who, like many of us, struggle to provide for their families' daily needs. If you are interested in sharing a financial gift with the Claretians, click here or write to info@shrineofstjude.org; or call 312-236-7782.

The path to the priest or brotherhood is one of discernment and discovery. Let us join you wherever you may be on that journey. Contact Claretian Vocation Promoter Mario Delgado , at vocations@shrineofstjude.org , or call 312-236-7782.