St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is an example of
purpose in action and the power of prayer:
According to Wikipedia:
“St. Jude was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas in 1962, with help
from Dr. Lemuel Diggs and close friend, Miami, Florida automobile dealer
Anthony Abraham, on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of
life".[1] This idea resulted from a promise that Danny Thomas, a Maronite,
had made to a saint years before the hospital was founded. Thomas was a funny
comedian, who was struggling to get a break in his career and living paycheck
to paycheck. When his first child was about to be born, he attended Mass in
Detroit and put his last $7 in the offering bin. He prayed to St. Jude Thaddeus
for a means to provide for his family, and about a week later, he obtained a
gig that paid 10 times what he had put in the offering bin. After that time,
Thomas believed in the power of prayer. He promised St. Jude Thaddeus that if
he made him successful, he would one day build him a shrine. Years later, Danny
Thomas became an extremely successful comedian and built St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital as a shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus to honor his promise.[2] In
1957, Thomas founded the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC),
which helped him realize his dream. ALSAC is also the fundraising organization
of St. Jude. Since St. Jude opened its doors in 1962, ALSAC has had the
responsibility of raising the necessary funds to keep the hospital open.
Memphis was chosen at the suggestion of Roman Catholic Cardinal Samuel Stritch,
a Tennessee native who had been a spiritual advisor to Thomas since he presided
at Thomas's confirmation in Thomas's boyhood home of Toledo, Ohio.[3][4]”
To learn more about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
and the work they do, visit Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Jude_Children's_Research_Hospital
The purpose of life
is
to contribute in some way
to making things better.
― Robert F. Kennedy
