The shrine is popular with students and those reviewing for board examinations, as Jude Thaddeus is considered the patron saint of hopeless cases.

During the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, the Dominicans built their dwelling places near the homes of the Sangleys (from the Hokkien 生意 sengli, "business" or "trade" [4]).

Thus, the faculty to erect three more Chinese parishes was obtained by Archbishop Rufino Santos from the Roman Consistorial Congregation on July 23, 1954.

[6] After receiving the commission for the churches, Espíritu Santo Chinese Parish in the Santa Cruz district was canonically erected.

The first rectory was in a portion of Riverside Hospital (now the Saint Jude Catholic School) which was rented for that purpose in January 1955.

Jude Thaddeus was made patron saint of the parish after a month by Santos as proposed by Herman Kondring.

[6] The present site of St. Jude Parish, with an area of 2,989.10 square metres (32,174.4 sq ft), was donated by Santos.

In May 1999, Teodor P. Gapuz was appointed Director of St. Jude Catholic School, and John O'Mahony took over as acting parish priest of St. Jude Archdiocesan Shrine with the following parochial vicars: Isabelo San Luis, Rodgrigo Advincula, and Leopoldo C. Jaucian, with Roland Aquino as the deacon who assisted on weekends.

Leopoldo C. Jaucian succeeded Peter Tsao and was appointed parish priest at St. Jude Archdiocesan Shrine on July 25, 2000, and installed by Cardinal Sin on August 19, 2000.

Manila Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales endorsed the petition to the CBCP giving assurance "that all canonical and liturgical requirements for the elevation to the status of being a National Shrine have been complied with".

The celebrations and activities for the shrine's 60th anniversary was launched on February 2, 2014, by Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Archbishop of Manila.

The devotion spread over the years and has become very popular in Metro Manila, with devotees including students, board examination reviewees, office workers, parishioners, and all walks of life.

A decade later, Pope John Paul II came to raise the Philippines' protomartyr, Lorenzo Ruiz, to beatify him and his companion martyrs.