St Jude's Shrine, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh India

Acclaimed as the first church that is in the name of saint Jude, St Jude shrine in Jhansi makes remarkable influence not only to the Christians but also to the devotees of other faiths. Prettily erected in a serene environment, the church architecture reflects a blend of Christian and Hindu cultures. Three colossal domes on the entrance signify the influence of typical Hindu style architecture. Consecrated in the year 1966, the church witnesses massive participation in the daily masses and holy Novenas.

Parish celebrates its feast on October 27th each year, which would last for a whole week. The last day of the feast is marked with a huge procession that attracts large number of people in and around the city. Altar of the chapel is blessed with the presence of the bone of the great saint and that fetches people at large to the holy precincts of the church frequently.

The devotion to St. Jude Thaddaeus, was practically unknown in India, and it was the late Bishop F. X. Fenech who started it in Jhansi, which was a Prefecture Apostolic in those days. It was not easy to do especially during the World War II, but Bishop Fenech was a man of great faith, he made a promise to St. Jude that if he helped him, he would build a Shrine in Jhansi in his honour.