Just ask Anita Iturinde, an orphan who lives with her aging grandmother in Rwanda.  She is just one of thousands upon thousands of innocent children in Africa orphaned by parents who have died needlessly from AIDS.          

          These girls and boys were not deliberately abandoned nor unwanted.  Their mothers and fathers loved them dearly.  Yet, because of unspoken customs, drug use, or simply because their parents were uneducated, these children are paying a very heavy price.  Many have even “inherited” this disease at birth. 

          Through no fault of their own, countless children like Anita are suffering — because of something they had nothing to do with at all!          

          Anita firmly believed her life was entirely hopeless.  After all, what kind of life could an orphan girl like her have?  Living in a place where practically every family has been decimated from AIDS . . . where women are often thought of as possessions . . . where there really are no “options” . . . no choices.         

          That’s where you can change things.        

          You can bring hope to children like Anita by choosing to support the vital work of St. Jude Shrine.  For as little as $10 you can help Anita stay in school.  Her grandmother cannot afford to send Anita to the vocational school where she can learn the skills to become self-sufficient.  By finishing school, she will soon be able to care for her grandmother, who can no longer provide for them both.       

          Anita dreams of not only helping her grandmother, but also of helping other children like her.  She desperately wants to “console those who cry the tears of poverty” because she knows first-hand what it is like to be an orphan.        

          That’s the kind of hope you can make possible by sharing your blessings with St. Jude Shrine!  But there’s more . . .         

          Every time you make hope possible for someone else, I believe St. Jude will find a way to return that “favor”.  He is, after all, the saint of impossible things.  Surely you have heard of the many miraculous ways St. Jude has helped others!    

          By supporting the vital work of St. Jude Shrine, you will help our Pallottine missionaries bring real hope to orphans like Anita — providing them with the kind of education that turns their lives around.  Many of these girls and boys often need  a place to live as well.  Sometimes their families just need a little help with putting food on the table or clean water to drink.         

           These are just a few ways your support of St. Jude Shrine will bring hope to those who desperately need it.  And that is also why you, too, will be blessed with great favor by St. Jude — should you ever need it.        

           Yes, all things are indeed possible — even for you!     

            Please consider sharing your blessings with St. Jude Shrine.  Your support will bring hope and possibility to 40 countries around the world including right here in the United States!  Even a few dollars will make a huge difference. 

           Wherever there is a Pallottine brother or priest serving someone in need, you will also be there, bringing the healing light of hope!  You, too, will find favor.        

            So, the next time you find yourself looking for hope, look to St. Jude Shrine.  Remember, just about anything is possible — even in these troubling times!