Who looks after those who support lost causes?

Through years of swimming against the prevailing tide, I've often been in the position of supporting what many would regard as a lost cause. In preparation for writing something about this, I thought I'd find out a little more about St Jude, traditionally, in the UK at least, the patron saint of lost causes. I was surprised (actually, not surprised, interested is more accurate) to find that he is just one of four that the Catholic church recognises as patron saints of lost or impossible causes. And no, St Jezza isn't on the list, neither, for that matter, is St Theresa. The quartet are St. Rita of Cascia, St. Jude Thaddeus (the man himself), St. Philomena and St. Gregory of Neocaesarea. Admit it, you want to know more as you are thinking "What did they do to earn the patronage of lost causes? I bet there's a story behind each one? Where did it all go wrong for them?". Read on and be educated.


St Rita was born in 1381 in Roccaporena, Italy. Although she had a deep wish to enter a religious life, her parents arranged her marriage at a young age to a cruel and unfaithful husband. However, because of his wife's prayers, he experienced a conversion after almost 20 years of unhappy marriage. It's a shame that he was murdered soon after. But that wasn't the end to Rita's troubles as her two sons became ill and died following their father’s death, leaving Rita without any family. She tried again to enter the religious life, but was denied entrance to the Augustinian convent many times before finally being accepted. Once there, Rita, poor thing, was asked to tend to a dead piece of vine as an act of obedience. She watered the stick diligently and, quelle surorise, it inexplicably yielded grapes. Apparently, the plant still grows at the convent and its leaves are distributed to those seeking miraculous healing. For the rest of her life until her death in 1457, Rita experienced illness and an ugly, open wound on her forehead that repulsed those around her. Like all the other calamities in her life, she accepted this situation with grace. Although her life was filled with seemingly impossible circumstances and many reasons for despair, St. Rita never lost her faith and for this she has been adopted as a champion of lost causes.

Although he is the most popular patron of lost causes, not much is known of St. Jude‘s life. He was one of the Twelve Apostles and preached the Gospel with great passion, often in the most difficult circumstances. He is believed to have been martyred for his faith while preaching to pagans in Persia.

Saint Philomena must have been very busy as, as well as being connected with lost causes, she is also the patron of youth (especially babies and children), students and test-takers, afflicted mothers, young married couples and the sick and suffering. Although she was martyred under the reign of Diocletian in the third century, she was entirely unknown until her tomb was uncovered in 1802. She is the only person to be recognized as a saint solely on the basis of miraculous intercession. Of noble birth with Christian convert parents, Philomena dedicated her virginity to Christ.  When she refused to marry the Emperor Diocletian, she was cruelly tortured in many ways for over a month. She was scourged, thrown into a river with an anchor around her neck, and shot through with arrows. A short but harrowing life, she died when she was around 13 or 14.

St. Gregory Neocaesarea, also known as St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (the Wonderworker) was born in Asia Minor around the year 213. Although raised as a pagan, at age 14 he was converted to Christianity with his brother. At the age of 40 he became a bishop in Caesarea, and served the Church in this role until his death 30 years later. According to ancient records, there were only 17 Christians in Caesarea when he first became a bishop. Many people were converted by his words and by his miracles and when he died, there were only 17 pagans left  in all of Caesarea.