About St. Joseph
St. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus and husband of the Virgin Mary, stands out in Christian tradition for his quiet strength and faithful obedience despite appearing in only a few Gospel scenes. A carpenter from Nazareth, he faced an enormous test of faith when he discovered Mary was pregnant, yet chose to follow God’s message through an angel to take her as his wife and serve as Jesus’s foster father. The Gospels portray him as a “just man” who protected his family through multiple crises – including a hasty flight to Egypt to escape King Herod’s persecution, and later establishing a new life in Nazareth. Though no words of Joseph are recorded in Scripture, his actions reveal his character: he worked with his hands to support his family, taught Jesus his trade, and faithfully fulfilled Jewish religious obligations like the annual Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He disappears from the Gospel narrative after Jesus’s childhood, leading to the belief that he died before Jesus began his public ministry. The Catholic Church honors him as the patron of the universal Church, workers, fathers, and a happy death (due to the tradition that he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary), and his feast day is celebrated on March 19th.
Prayers & Devotions
YouTube Playlist – St. Joseph Prayer Videos
