History of The Power of Jude

The Power of Jude—An Amazing Little Book

This is truly an amazing story. This amazing little book, The Power of Jude, was written in 1992 by a group of friends who, for no apparent reason, researched and wrote it. It was self published by one of the group and distributed to friends and neighbors, a few churches, and to hospitals and other similar places. Because of this little book, a web site was created at judepower.com, and this nonprofit corporation (St. Jude on Internet) was created to assist in distribution of the book. The friends eventually went their separate ways and there was little activity with the book. But somehow the book took off all by itself!

One of the first things that occurred was that the accountant for the non-profit, a non-catholic, became so involved in the book, that he does the tax and accounting work, pro bono. (Which is much appreciated.) Then, over the years, the book meandered throughout California and into the rest of the United States. People would write to the web site of how the book miraculously helped them out. Others would call on the telephone asking if they could buy the book. The book wasn't sold because of the cumbersome governmental paperwork. Usually the book was sent - at no charge. The address for the publication of the book and the non-profit was in Redondo Beach, California. Occasionally people would knock on the door explaining how the book had been of such an enormous assistance to them. One was a mother of two pre-teen children who had problems and credited the book with the solutions. She insisted that she donate $25 to the non-profit. Her appearance, although sturdy and smiling, obviously indicated financial difficulties. The non-profit refused to accept the money at first, but it became so apparent that this donation was of such vital importance to the mother, that it was accepted.

The book kept traveling for five or six years then, in 1999, it seemed to stop. Some activity continued, but very limited. The writers of the book were engaged in their personal activities and as a result the book laid dormant for a few years.

Then, sometime in the Fall of 2006, the book seemed to come to life again. Inquiries were made. There was some activity on the web site. But the big event had to do with the little book making it to Japan. A person called one of the writers of the book and said she was in New York and had the little book with her. She had gotten into a cab at exactly the same time as a couple of young men from Japan. They decided to ride together and, for whatever reason, at the end of the ride, she handed the little book to one of the Japanese men who was studying to be Buddhist monk. In the book she had her address and phone number and invited the student to call her with his reaction to the little book. She reported that about a year later the student called and said he had read the little book over and over, and was either going to convert to Christianity or was going to embody the little book into his Buddhist philosophy. That's when S.J.I. decided it better start promoting this amazing little book.