St. Joseph with the Child Jesus, by Guido Reni (c. 1620).
Life
Saint Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster-father of Jesus Christ, is honored as the Patron of the Universal Church.
Though the Gospels record no words from him, Joseph is presented as a man of deep faith, humility, and obedience to God’s will.
He protected the Holy Family, guiding them into Egypt to escape Herod’s persecution, and returned them safely to Nazareth.
Tradition holds that he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary, which is why he is invoked as the patron of a happy death.
Patronage
- The Universal Church
- Families and fathers
- Workers and carpenters
- The dying
Feast Days
- March 19 — Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- May 1 — Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker
Associated Devotions
Sources
- Douay-Rheims Bible: Matthew 1–2; Luke 1–2.
- Pope Pius IX, Quemadmodum Deus (1870), declaring St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§437, 532, 1014.