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Prayer for the Friends of St. Jude
Dear God, I can get very caught up in my own problems. After all, they are real and cause me a lot of pain. But I remember that I am part of a large human family, your family, and we all have problems. I expand my awareness to include all people, especially the many others who approach Saint Jude with their concerns. I move out of myself to embrace them in prayer and ask that your grace may flow through every one of them.

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About us
The Dominican Friars, the Province of St. Albert the Great, are Roman Catholic priests and brothers. We are part of the global "Order of Preachers," the Dominican Family of priests, brothers, sisters, nuns and lay people, who live and pray today in a holy tradition that dates back to time of St. Dominic, the thirteenth century.

Our mission is to communicate the Word of God through preaching, theological education, and the promotion of justice and peace. This mission in the Body of Christ demands a vowed community life, liturgical prayer and life-long study.

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July 2005

Dear Friends of St. Jude,

My name is Fr. Jim Spahn, O.P., and as you know from Fr. Matt’s previous letters, I am the new director of the Shrine of St. Jude. Fr. Matt has done a wonderful job with his warm pastoral presence and creative ideas over the years to make the Shrine an ever more effective prayer ministry. It is an honor to be asked to follow him. We have been friends since the late 70s. He will be taking a well earned rest and then move to Madison, Wisconsin. I’m sure I speak for all friends of St. Jude in wishing him well in the future.

So who am I, you may be asking? I was born in the Panama Canal Zone, the eldest of six children in the Navy family. Fortunately, both of my parents are still living happily in southern Maryland. In 1976, I began my Dominican life in Dubuque, IA with a year of Novitiate, and made profession in October, 1977. I was ordained to the priesthood in May 1981. I have served in Madison, Wisconsin as Associate Pastor, high school chaplain and religion teacher, as youth minister. After that, I moved to Milwaukee where I worked at the Catholic Campus Ministry Center at UW-Milwaukee (a NCAA “sweet-sixteen” contender this year!), while completing a Masters degree in Social Work. I applied my family therapy skills at a runaway shelter, trying to bring families back together again.

After that, I moved to Denver, Colorado where I continued working in the mental health profession at Catholic Charities where I became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. In 1995, I was asked to be the master of students for our Dominican Vicariate in Bolivia, and served there for 7 years. A piece of my heart is still there! I returned to the US in 2002, and after a year of sabbatical, was elected Prior (superior) of our Novitiate community in Denver where I have been until coming on board at the Shrine.

I hope to continue in the footsteps of Fr. Matt, welcoming suggestions and your personal prayer intentions. I am excited about the possibility of reaching more people who have a devotion to The Saint of Last Resort, inviting them into the powerful circle of prayer.

Thank you for you continued support! I am at your service, and welcome getting to know many of you.

May God shower blessings upon you and your families,

James A. Spahn, OP
Director

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