Join us for our Lenten Mission on Saturday, March 12th at 4:00 pm Mass and Sunday, March 13th at the 8:30 am and 10:00 am Masses presented by Dominican Father Michael Ford.
Dominican Father Michael Ford directs the Dominican Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus at St. Pius V Church, 1910 S. Ashland Ave., and as such, he takes care of the shrine’s relic of the apostle, perhaps best known as the patron saint of lost causes, and brings it to parishes and schools around the country where he offers parish missions, retreats and other events.
Relics, he said, are “a way for people to grow in their faith. Catholicism isn’t crazy for doing this
”Many people, religious and otherwise, venerate relics in their own way, whether it’s building a shrine to one’s ancestors or displaying an autographed baseball card, “anything we keep from a previous encounter,” Ford said.
When he visits schools, Ford said, he explains that relics of the saints are physical reminders that the saints we venerate were real people. They wore clothes, they ate and drank, they embraced their loved ones. Now that they are with God in heaven, we can ask them to pray for us.
Fr. Mike is a captivating speaker, former high school teacher, and former Pastor in Minnesota.
To visit the shrine or request a lecture by Ford, visit the-shrine.org.