Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Happy eve of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Jesus’ foster father. In some ways, this important occasion is eclipsed each year by our St. Patrick festivities. Yet, the fact hat St. Joseph’s Day is a liturgical Solemnity while St. Patrick’s Day is a mere memorial should give us all some sense of St. Joseph’s preeminence. When I was in elementary school, anyone who was Irish (or an Irish wannabe) would wear green on March 17; those who did not were pinched. In “friendly opposition,” the kids from the Polish and Italian families would wear red (a color in both the Polish and Italian flags) on March 19. The Poles of Pittsburgh would decorate the St. Joseph altars that were always predominant in their parish churches (Poland had been entrusted to St. Joseph in the 12th century) while the Italians would put together amazing St. Joseph tables, featuring the best of breads and treats, all to be shared with the poor. I was delighted this year that I had the privilege of blessing the St. Joseph Table at our parish in Red Wing.
St. Joseph’s importance cannot be overestimated. St. Thomas Aquinas hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “Some Saints are privileged to extend to us their patronage with particular efficacy in certain needs, but not in others; but our holy patron St. Joseph has the power to assist us in all cases, in every necessity, in every undertaking.” Many of you may recall how just a few years ago, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, Pope Francis declared a Year of St. Joseph, which ran from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021. Here in the Archdiocese, we were delighted that the Pope’s plan coincided perfectly with the Archdiocesan Year of St. Joseph that we had already announced and that began just as many of us were completing the Consecrations to St. Joseph.
To mark that year, and through the exceptional generosity of a strong St. Joseph devotee, the Chapel of Saint Joseph in our Cathedral was adorned with exquisite banners highlighting the “ten wonders” of St. Joseph that were featured and explored in Father Donald Calloway’s Consecration to St. Joseph and in our local Cuppa Joe series.
In Father Calloway’s Consecration to St. Joseph, he tells us to look to St. Joseph as our spiritual father. “St. Joseph, though not the biological father of Jesus, is nonetheless a real father to Jesus because he exercised a fatherhood towards Jesus that was authoritative, affectionate, and faithful.” This is a great comfort for those of us who are living in a time when fatherhood seems in so many ways to be in crisis. How wonderful that fathers can turn to St. Joseph as an example of humble service and strength, while those who have not benefited from a strong father figure in their lives can turn to St. Joseph for guidance and comfort.
Like his holy spouse, our Blessed Mother Mary, Joseph serves as patron of many causes: the Universal Church, families, workers, a happy death. All this from a man who has no recorded quotes in scripture! But he was a man of obedience, humble action and faith. Like Mary, he’s an excellent example, of “those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Lk 11:28).
The men of this archdiocese may be encouraged to follow St. Joseph’s example later this month at our annual men's conference. I’m looking forward to joining in this day, along with Bishop Williams and Bishop Izen, where we’ll reflect on being “Men of Christ – Rising Daily in Discipleship." Until then, I encourage you with the words that are inscribed in the St. Joseph Chapel in our cathedral: "Ite ad Ioseph (Go to Joseph!)" and I ask you to join me in praying Pope Francis’ prayer to St. Joseph.
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.
Join men from throughout the Archdiocese for the 2024 men’s conference. Keynote speakers Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers and Jeff Cavins will lead the day that will include presentations by Bishop Joseph Williams, Deacon Joe Michalak, and Bishop Izen.
Awaken the Heart (March 23)
Enter into the suffering of Christ this Lent by way of your own personal suffering as we ask the Holy Spirit to unveil the Father’s desire of redemption through our most painful and tender wounds. Dr. Daniel McClure, a licensed clinical psychologist and dynamic speaker, will offer a talk on the topic, “Why have you forsaken me?”
A new walking pilgrimage culture?
In March 2017, Will Peterson and his friend David Cable stepped out of Peterson’s front door in Lexington, Kentucky, to begin a pilgrimage. Their destination was the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani, some 70 miles away.
Read the full story from The Catholic Spirit.
Read the full story from The Catholic Spirit.
Why I am Catholic — Sandy Cortez
The Catholic faith, deeply intertwined with my Latino background and influenced by the experiences of my immigrant parents, has provided me with a sense of purpose, community and spiritual fulfillment that has enriched every aspect of my life.
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Rising daily in discipleship as men of Christ
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"Pope Francis is not the first pontiff to recognize that renewing our passion for the Council is nothing less than renewing our passion for evangelization. It was St. Paul VI, while commemorating the 10th anniversary of the closing of the Council, who reminded the whole Church that “the objectives of [the Council] are definitively summed up in this single one: to make the Church of the twentieth century ever better fitted for proclaiming the Gospel to the people of the twentieth century.” While countless debates about the Council have occurred in the last 60 years – and continue to occur today – let us never lose hold of this basic conviction."
Sent forth by the Holy Spirit to make Jesus known and loved.
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March 18, 2024