England ace Jude Bellingham gets blessing from higher power as The Sun prays at National Shrine to St Jude for victory
THE Sun has sought divine intervention to help England win today — with a prayer at the National Shrine of St Jude, the patron saint of hope.
First we placed photos of namesake Jude Bellingham beneath the ornate stained glass windows as shrine chaplain, Brother Paul de Groot, provided moral support.
Wearing a red 1966 Three Lions strip, Sun man Oliver Harvey then knelt and said in prayer: “St Jude, as the apostle of hope, please look kindly on England when they take on Switzerland.
“And please give strength to our talismanic hero Jude Bellingham, who bears your name.
“But please St Jude, don’t leave it as late as it was against Slovakia. Amen.”
Now, we’re giving you the chance to recite our prayer.
Brother Paul, 73, said: “Many a pilgrim comes here looking and hoping for something and they pray to St Jude and, with luck, it will be answered.”
The chaplain watched England’s No10 take our last match into extra time with a last-gasp bicycle kick.
He admitted: “I’m not a great football fan but I had the TV on and then it happened — but to be honest it was a dire game.”
The National Shrine to St Jude, dedicated in 1955, is an annex to the parish church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Faversham, Kent.
St Jude was once regarded as the apostle of hopeless or lost causes — but that has now changed.
Brother Paul explained: “I don’t think for God any cause is lost.
“God is willing to hear and help any case which is why we now associate Jude with hope.
“God can educate us through the difficulties and trials and tribulations of life.
“That might well be happening to the England team now.”
One prayer has already been answered — with Bellingham given only a suspended one-match ban for his groin-grabbing goal celebration.
The ruling was toasted by supporters in Dusseldorf ahead of the quarter-final showdown.
Sales executive Dec Evans, 33, of Blackburn, said: “I am delighted — but it’s a joke they even considered a ban.
“He had just scored one of the most amazing goals in England football history — of course he’s going to celebrate.”
Some 50,000 Three Lions fans in Germany, backed by millions watching at home, and in bars and fanzones, will be cheering for victory in what will be boss Gareth Southgate’s 100th game in charge.
Carpenter Nick Thatcher, 45, of Bristol, said: “We have the best squad and there is no reason why we can’t go all the way.
“It’s been a tough watch over the last couple of games, but it’s important the fans get behind the team when they need it most.”
Only 6,731 tickets were made available to Three Lions fans through Uefa but a total of 30,000 are set to turn the 47,000-seat Dusseldorf Arena into a home ground for England.
Many spent yesterday belting out songs as they sheltered from the rain under awnings outside bars in Dusseldorf’s Old Town.
Pharmacist Dean Spotwood, 40, of Sheffield, said: “We gambled when we booked our flights that England would reach the quarter-finals.
“It was looking like a disaster when we were 1-0 down to Slovakia, but Jude saved the day.”
Ross Bunn, 36, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, will be going to his third Euros 2024 game with son Jude, nine.
He said: “England haven’t clicked yet and we’re already in the quarter-final. When it does all work out, we can go all the way.
“My son is loving it. He was named after actor Jude Law, but I’m loving the fact he now shares it with Mr Bellingham.’’
Construction manager Scott Evans, 29, of Bexley, South East London, is there on his stag do with 18 friends and relatives.
They booked in November hoping England would secure a Saturday evening quarter-final in Dusseldorf — exactly as it has worked out.
Scott’s dad Paul, 58, said: “What better way to celebrate?”
England awaits
Back home, fans will down an extra eight million pints in boozers today — giving the pub industry a £38million boost.
Around 20million viewers will watch the match on TV after splashing out £200million on snacks and booze at stores.
Music fans will also be able to watch the match after organisers of a string of gigs and festivals hurriedly erected big screens or changed set times.
The Lightning Seeds, who sang Euro 96 anthem Three Lions with Frank Skinner and David Baddiel, will kick off their set at Lytham Festival, in Lancs, earlier so fans can cheer on England.
Even the Big Sheep music festival in Devon — starring The Wurzels — will take a break for the footie.
But Wimbledon chiefs sniffed: “We won’t be showing the Euros.
“Our screens will be showing the tennis.”