
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a nonprofit medical corporation that focuses on treating children with catastrophic diseases, especially leukemia and other cancers. Although it was founded by devout Roman Catholic Danny Thomas and named after his patron saint, St. Jude Thaddeus, it is not a Catholic hospital. It is a secular institution with no affiliation with any religious organization.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a secular institution with no affiliation to any religious organization. |
| Founder | Entertainer Danny Thomas founded the hospital in 1962. |
| Founding principle | The hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life". |
| Named after | The hospital was named after Danny Thomas's patron saint, St. Jude Thaddeus. |
| Focus | The hospital focuses on treating children with catastrophic diseases, especially leukemia and other cancers. |
| Age range | The hospital treats patients up to the age of 21, and for some conditions, up to 25. |
| Funding | St. Jude's is a nonprofit medical corporation that relies on donations. In 2021, it received $2 billion in donations. |
| Patient charges | St. Jude's does not charge patients for care, covering some but not all cancer-related costs. |
| Ranking | St. Jude's is ranked 10th among US pediatric cancer hospitals. |
| Fundraising | The hospital has been accused of aggressive fundraising practices and hoarding donor funds. |
| Affiliations | St. Jude's is affiliated with institutions in the US, including the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center. |
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What You'll Learn
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is not a Catholic hospital
- It is a secular institution with no religious affiliation
- It was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas, a devout Roman Catholic
- The hospital focuses on treating children's catastrophic diseases, especially cancer
- It is one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in Southern California

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is not a Catholic hospital
Thomas built St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus to honour a promise he made years earlier. Thomas had prayed to St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate cases, for help in kickstarting his career. In return, he vowed to build "a shrine where the poor and the helpless and the hopeless may come for comfort and aid."
Memphis, Tennessee, was chosen as the location for the hospital at the suggestion of Catholic Cardinal Samuel Stritch, who had been Thomas's spiritual advisor. The hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life."
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation that focuses on treating children with catastrophic diseases, especially leukemia and other cancers. The hospital treats patients up to the age of 21 and, in some cases, up to 25. It does not charge patients for care and covers some cancer-related costs.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is not an evangelical Christian organization, but its fundraising campaigns have attracted many evangelical donors. The hospital has a unique fundraising promise, stating that "families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food—because all a family should worry about is helping their child live."
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It is a secular institution with no religious affiliation
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a secular institution with no religious affiliation. It was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas on February 4, 1962, before a crowd of 9,000 people, with help from Lemuel Diggs and Thomas' close friend from Miami, automobile dealer Anthony Abraham. The hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life". This idea resulted from a promise that Thomas, a Maronite Catholic, had made to St. Jude Thaddeus years before the hospital was founded. Thomas promised the saint that if he helped him succeed, he would build him a shrine.
Thomas built St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus to honour his promise. Memphis was chosen at the suggestion of Catholic Cardinal Samuel Stritch, a Tennessee native who had been Thomas' spiritual advisor since he presided at Thomas' confirmation in his boyhood home of Toledo, Ohio. St. Jude is not a Catholic hospital, but it is named after Danny Thomas' patron saint. It is a secular institution with no religious affiliation.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation that focuses on children's catastrophic diseases, particularly leukemia and other cancers. The hospital treats patients up to age 21 and, for some conditions, up to age 25. Daily operating costs average $1.7 million, but patients are not charged for care. St. Jude covers some, but not all, cancer-related costs. In the 2021 fiscal year, St. Jude received $2 billion in donations.
St. Jude also works with Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, also located in downtown Memphis. St. Jude patients needing certain procedures, such as brain surgery, may undergo them at Le Bonheur Hospital. Both St. Jude and Le Bonheur are teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. University of Tennessee physicians training in pediatrics, surgery, radiology, and other specialties undergo service rotations at St. Jude.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is not an evangelical Christian organization, but its fundraising campaigns have broad appeal, attracting many evangelical donors. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Sofia Vergara sing the hospital's praises in televised advertisements. St. Jude is the largest and most highly regarded healthcare charity in the country. Each year, the Memphis hospital's fundraisers send out hundreds of millions of letters, many with heart-wrenching photographs of children left bald from battling cancer.
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It was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas, a devout Roman Catholic
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas, a devout Roman Catholic, on February 4, 1962, in front of a crowd of 9,000 people. Thomas was a struggling comic and actor in the late 1930s when he turned to the patron saint of desperate cases, St. Jude Thaddeus, for help. He promised that if the saint helped him succeed, he would build a shrine in his honour. Thomas's prayer was answered, and he went on to star in the TV sitcom "Make Room for Daddy", later known as The Danny Thomas Show.
Thomas kept his promise and built St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a shrine to St. Jude Thaddeus. The hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life". Memphis, Tennessee, was chosen as the location for the hospital at the suggestion of Catholic Cardinal Samuel Stritch, who had been Thomas's spiritual advisor since presiding over his confirmation in Thomas's boyhood home of Toledo, Ohio.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation that focuses on treating children with catastrophic diseases, particularly leukaemia and other cancers. The hospital treats patients up to the age of 21 and, for some conditions, up to the age of 25. It is ranked 10th among US paediatric cancer hospitals and is known for its aggressive fundraising campaigns, which have attracted many donors, including celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Sofia Vergara.
Despite its name and its founder's religious affiliation, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is not a Catholic hospital. It is a secular institution not affiliated with any religious organization. However, it works in affiliation with several institutions in the United States, including the Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
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The hospital focuses on treating children's catastrophic diseases, especially cancer
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a secular institution not affiliated with any religious organization. It is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation that focuses on treating children's catastrophic diseases, especially cancer. The hospital was founded on the premise that "no child should die in the dawn of life".
St. Jude treats patients up to the age of 21 and, for some conditions, up to 25. It specializes in care for some of the toughest pediatric cases, including cancer, blood disorders, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases. The hospital covers some, but not all, cancer-related costs. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food.
St. Jude has an International Outreach Program to improve the survival rates of children with catastrophic illnesses worldwide. The hospital is affiliated with several institutions in the United States, including a network of hematology clinics, hospitals, and universities. Some of its domestic affiliate clinic sites include the Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Novant Health Hemby Children's Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.
St. Jude also works with the Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, also located in downtown Memphis. St. Jude patients needing certain procedures, such as brain surgery, may undergo these procedures at Le Bonheur Hospital. Both hospitals are teaching hospitals affiliated with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
St. Jude has been ranked 10th among US pediatric cancer hospitals, and it has raised significant funds for its work. In 2021, the hospital received $2 billion in donations, with daily operating costs averaging $1.7 million.
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It is one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in Southern California
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by entertainer Danny Thomas, a devout Roman Catholic, on February 4, 1962. Despite its name and its founder's religious affiliation, St. Jude is not a Catholic hospital. It is a secular institution with no affiliation with any religious organization.
However, there is a separate St. Jude Medical Center, a faith-based, non-profit hospital located in Fullerton, California. This hospital, established by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange in 1957, is one of Southern California's most technologically advanced hospitals.
The hospital was built through a partnership between the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange and the local community, who raised funds to make St. Jude Hospital a reality. Within six months, over $750,000 was raised, which was matched by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, allowing construction to begin.
St. Jude Medical Center has been described as "ultramodern" and "high-tech" since its opening, offering the latest advances in care, including state-of-the-art operating areas and the new concept of "the recovery room." The hospital's kitchen also featured the newest equipment, and one newspaper article praised St. Jude's patients as the "best fed in the country."
Today, St. Jude Medical Center continues to be one of Southern California's most respected and technologically advanced hospitals. With nearly 700 of Southern California's top physicians on staff, the hospital offers every medical specialty and sub-specialty. The hospital's five core values—compassion, dignity, excellence, justice, and integrity—guide their commitment to exceptional care that extends beyond medicine to the mind, body, and spirit.
In summary, while St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is not a Catholic hospital, St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, California, is a faith-based institution that has earned a reputation as one of the most technologically advanced hospitals in Southern California.
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Frequently asked questions
No, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is not a Catholic hospital. It is a secular institution not affiliated with any religious organization.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a nonprofit medical corporation that focuses on treating children with catastrophic diseases, particularly leukemia and other cancers.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is located in Memphis, Tennessee.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is funded through donations and fundraising campaigns. In 2021, the hospital received $2 billion in donations.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital treats patients up to the age of 21, and for some conditions, up to the age of 25. Treatment at St. Jude is provided free of charge to patients and their families.











































