St Joseph Patron of Canada

.If you notice the Apostolate banner, we see I have placed a golden maple leaf in the right hand of the Child Jesus and also in the top portion of the crown of St Joseph: this is to serve as a reminder of St Joseph's patronage over my country, Canada. St Joseph is also the Patron of my Archdiocese, Winnipeg. It saddens me to know that many Canadians have no clue that St Joseph is the Patron Saint of our nation. 

From the very beginning, New France (Canada) had placed St Joseph in a position of honor for the new country. At the time, the feast day of St Joseph, on March 19, had just been made mandatory for the whole Church in 1621 under Pope Gregory XV. There was a new sense of appreciation and vigor for devotion to St Joseph, as was made evident by the Canadian missionaries. It was the missionary Joseph Le Caron who chose St Joseph as the Patron Saint of New France (Canada.) Le Caron wrote of the Huron Indians and the difficulties of the work of evangelization. He noted on March 19, 1624: "We held a great feast in honor of St Joseph where all the inhabitants were included, several wild. This feast was held as a vow we made to St. Joseph, choosing him as Patron of New France.”

In 1637, Father Le Jeune wrote that "the feast of the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, father, patron and protector of New France, is one of the great solemnities of the country." It was under his patronage that was accomplished the evangelization of the Indians and Joseph’s name was given to the majority of new converts. The custom of bestowing the name of Joseph, either as first or middle name, was quickly established in New France, and continues to this day among many French-Canadian Roman Catholics.

Saint-Joseph-de-Chambly

Many chapels and churches of Canada are dedicated to him, the oldest being in the territory of the Diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil. It is the parish of Saint-Joseph-de-Chambly whose canonical dates back to 1665. The largest shrine in the world dedicated to St Joseph is on Mount Royal in Montreal, St Joseph's Oratory, which is also the final resting place of the body of St André Bessette.
 
Canada and the Divine Praises

In 1911 the act of the First Plenary Council of Quebec (Canada) to include St Joseph, after the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Divine Praises was approved, with the invocation "Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse."

In 1920 Bishop Grouard asked Pope Benedict XV to extend the Canadian practice to the whole Church. That same year the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambéry, France, were allowed to add in all their houses throughout the world "Blessed be the Holy Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary." On February 23, 1921, Benedict XV decreed that the invocation "Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse" be added to the Divine Praises throughout the entire Church.

Blessed Pope John Paul II Prayer Whilst on Pilgrimage to St Joseph's Oratory, Montreal, Canada

St Joseph's Oratory, Montreal, Canada

Saint Joseph, with you, for you, we bless the Lord. He chose you among all men to be the chaste spouse of Mary,the one who would remain at the threshold of the mystery of her divine maternity, and who, after her, would accept it in faith as the work of the Holy Spirit. You gave to Jesus legal paternity in the line of David.You constantly watched over the Mother and the Child with an affectionate concern, in order to protect their lives and to allow them to accomplish their destiny. The Saviour Jesus deigned to submit himself to you, as to a father, throughout his childhood and adolescence and to receive from you an apprenticeship in human life, while you shared his life in the adoration of his mystery.

You remain at his side. Continue to protect the whole church, the family born of the salvation of Jesus. Protect especially the people of Canada who have placed themselves under your patronage. Help them to come closer to the mystery of Christ in that attitude of faith, submission and love that was your own. See the spiritual and material needs of all those who beg your intercession, particularly families and those who are poor, in every sense; through you, they are certain to find Mary's maternal face and the hand of Jesus to assist them.

And you, Blessed  (Saint) Brother Andre Bessette, porter of the college and keeper of this Oratory, give hope to all those who continue to seek your help. Teach them confidence in the virtue of prayer, and, with it, the path of conversion and the sacraments. Through you and through Saint Joseph, may God continue to pour out his blessings on the Congregation of the Holy Cross, on all those who come to this Oratory, on the City of Montreal, on the people of Quebec, on the Canadian people, and on the whole church. + Amen.

Pope Francis & St Joseph

19 March 2013:   In the Gospel of Matthew we hear that “Joseph did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife” (Mt 1:24). These words already point to the mission which God entrusts to Joseph: he is to be the custos, the protector. The protector of whom? Of Mary and Jesus; but this protection is then extended to the Church… How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand. From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, he is there at every moment with loving care. As the spouse of Mary, he is at her side in good times and bad, on the journey to Bethlehem for the census and in the anxious and joyful hours when she gave birth; amid the drama of the flight into Egypt and during the frantic search for their child in the Temple; and later in the day-to-day life of the home of Nazareth, in the workshop where he taught his trade to Jesus.

19 March 2013:  How does Joseph respond to his calling to be the protector of Mary, Jesus and the Church? By being constantly attentive to God, open to the signs of God’s presence and receptive to God’s plans, and not simply to his own. […] Joseph is a “protector” because he is able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

19 March 2013: ...Caring and protecting demands goodness, it calls for a certain tenderness. In the Gospels, Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness, which is not the virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. We must not be afraid of goodness, of tenderness!

 

1 May 2013:  In the silence of his daily activity, St. Joseph shared with Mary a single, common focal point of attention: Jesus. They accompany and guard, with dedication and tenderness, the growth of the Son of God made man for us, reflecting on everything that happens. In the Gospels, Luke points out twice the attitude of Mary, which is also that of St. Joseph: "She treasured all these things, and pondered them in her heart" (2:19.51).

                                                                                                                                -

1 May 2013:  In the Gospel of St. Matthew, one of the times when Jesus returns to his native region, to Nazareth, and speaks in the synagogue, the Gospel underlines his fellow villagers' astonishment at his wisdom, and the question they ask one another: is not this the Carpenter's son?" (13:55). Jesus enters into our history, he comes into our midst, being born of Mary by the work of God, but with the presence of St. Joseph, the legal father who guards him and even teaches him his trade. Jesus was born and lived in a family, in the Holy Family, learning from St. Joseph the carpenter's trade, in the workshop of Nazareth, sharing with him his commitment, hard work and satisfaction, as well as each day's difficulties. This calls to mind for us the dignity and importance of work. … Work is part of the plan of God's love; we are called to cultivate and safeguard all the goods of creation and in this way we participate in the work of creation! 

3 St Joseph Myths

UNTRUTHS ABOUT ST JOSEPH - I'm sure all of you know this, but there are some people out there who have been lead astray by false apparitions such as "St Joseph's Hill of Hope" (Brea, California) so just in case, here are Three things to remember when it comes to our Glorious Patron St Joseph... (as related in the book "St Joseph: Prince of the Church".)

FALSE: St Joseph was an elderly widower with children before his espousals to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
 
TRUTH: It is piously believed (and held by many saints) that St Joseph, being predestined to be the witness and guardian of Our Lady's virginity, made a vow of virginity for himself when he was young. St Joseph was not previously married and had no biological children of his own.
 

FALSE: St Joseph was immaculately conceived.
 
TRUTH: St Joseph was not immaculately conceived, he was sanctified in the womb several months AFTER his conception (as many saints believe, just as St John the Baptist was sanctified in the womb.)
 
FALSE: St Joseph is the incarnation of the Holy Spirit

TRUTH: St Joseph is NOT GOD. He is a man: the reflection of the  fatherhood of God the Father, chosen to protest and nurture God the Son, guided by God the Holy Spirit.
 
Apparitions which teach anything contrary to the faith as upheld by the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church are deceptions of the devil. CAUTION! God bless you and always Ite Ad Ioseph.

For more Apostolate Mini-Presentations, click HERE

 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: Select Words on St Joseph

26 March 2011:  On the day of my election, I presented myself with conviction as “a humble worker in the Lord’s vineyard”, and today, together with you, I want to remember all workers and entrust them to the protection of St Joseph the worker.

19 March 2011:  St. Joseph, my personal patron and the patron of the Holy Church is a humble saint, a humble worker, who was made worthy to be the guardian of the Redeemer. St. Matthew characterizes St. Joseph with one word: "He was a just man," … and in the Old Testament, as we find it for example in Psalm 1, "just" is the man who is immersed in the Word of God, who lives in the Word of God, who lives the Law … as a "joy", who lives - we could say - the Law as "Gospel." St. Joseph was just, he was immersed in the Word of God, written, transmitted in the wisdom of his people, and precisely in this way was prepared and called to know the Incarnate Word - the Word who came among us as a man - and predestined to care for, to protect this Incarnate Word; this remains his mission forever: to care for the Holy Church and Our Lord. We entrust ourselves in this moment to his care, we pray that he help us in our humble service. We go forward in courage under this protection.

19 December 2010:  St. Joseph is presented as a “just man” (Matthew 1:19), faithful to God’s law, ready to do His will. On account of this he enters into the mystery of the Incarnation after an angel of the Lord appears to him in a dream and tells him: "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife with you. In fact the child that has been conceived in her comes from the Holy Spirit; she will give birth to a son and you will call him Jesus: he in fact will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:20-21). Forgetting the thought of repudiating Mary in secret, he takes her in because his eyes now see the work of God in her.

5 July 2010:  The espousals between Joseph and Mary are an episode of great importance. Joseph was of the royal line of David and, in virtue of his marriage to Mary, would confer on the Son of the Virgin - on God's Son - the legal tile of "Son of David," thus fulfilling the prophecies. The espousals of Joseph and Mary are, because of this, a human event, but determinant in the history of humanity's salvation, in the realization of the promises of God; because of this, it also has a supernatural connotation, which the two protagonists accept with humility and trust.

5 July 2010:  The Gospel, as we know, has not kept any word from Joseph, who carries out his activity in silence. It is the style that characterizes his whole existence, both before finding himself before the mystery of God's action in his spouse, as well as when - conscious of this mystery - he is with Mary in the Nativity. On that holy night, in Bethlehem, with Mary and the Child, is Joseph, to whom the Heavenly Father entrusted the daily care of his Son on earth, a care carried out with humility and in silence.

19 March 2009:  Each and every one of us has a role to play in the plan of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If discouragement overwhelms you, think of the faith of Joseph; if anxiety has its grip on you, think of the hope of Joseph, that descendant of Abraham who hoped against hope; if exasperation or hatred seizes you, think of the love of Joseph, who was the first man to set eyes on the human face of God in the person of the Infant conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Let us praise and thank Christ for having drawn so close to us, and for giving us Joseph as an example and model of love for Him.

18 March 2009:  Joseph teaches us that it is possible to love without possessing. In contemplating Joseph, all men and women can, by God’s grace, come to experience healing from their emotional wounds, if only they embrace the plan that God has begun to bring about in those close to him, just as Joseph entered into the work of redemption through Mary and as a result of what God had already done in her.

18 March 2009:  There is but one fatherhood, that of God the Father, the one Creator of the world, “of all that is seen and unseen”. Yet man, created in the image of God, has been granted a share in this one paternity of God (cf. Eph 3:15). Saint Joseph is a striking case of this, since he is a father, without fatherhood according to the flesh. He is not the biological father of Jesus, whose Father is God alone, and yet he lives his fatherhood fully and completely. To be a father means above all to be at the service of life and growth. Saint Joseph, in this sense, gave proof of great devotion. For the sake of Christ he experienced persecution, exile and the poverty which this entails. He had to settle far from his native town. His only reward was to be with Christ. His readiness to do all these things illustrates the words of Saint Paul: “It is Christ the Lord whom you serve” (Col 3:24).

19 March 2006:  The Gospel of Matthew highlights in a special way the messianic prophecies which found their fulfillment through St. Joseph’s role: the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (2:13-15); the byname "Nazarene" (2:22-23). In all this he showed himself, as his spouse Mary, authentic heir of Abraham’s faith: faith in God who guides the events of history according to His mysterious salvific plan. Joseph’s greatness, like Mary’s, stands out even more because his mission was developed in humility and in the hiddenness of the house of Nazareth. Moreover, God himself, in the person of His incarnate Son, chose this way and style of life in His earthly existence. From the example of St. Joseph we all receive a strong invitation to develop with fidelity, simplicity and modesty, the task that providence has assigned to us. I am thinking above all of fathers and mothers of families, and I pray that they will always be able to appreciate the beauty of a simple and industrious life, cultivating the conjugal relationship with care and fulfilling with enthusiasm the great and not easy educational mission.

18 December 2005:  I would like to turn my gaze to the figure of St. Joseph. In today's Gospel St. Luke presents the Virgin Mary as "a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David" (Lk 1: 27). The Evangelist Matthew, however, places a greater emphasis on the putative father of Jesus, stressing that through him the Child belonged legally to the lineage of David and thus fulfilled the Scriptural prophecy that the Messiah would be a "Son of David". But Joseph's role cannot be reduced to this legal aspect. He was the model of a "just" man (Mt 1: 19) who, in perfect harmony with his wife, welcomed the Son of God made man and watched over his human growth. It is therefore particularly appropriate to establish a sort of spiritual conversation with St. Joseph, so that he may help us live to the full this great mystery of faith. 

Click HERE to read the Entrustments to St Joseph
made during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI

St Joseph Added to All Eucharistic Prayers

.

Exercising his paternal care over Jesus, Saint Joseph of Nazareth, set over the Lord’s family, marvelously fulfilled the office he received by grace. Adhering firmly to the mystery of God’s design of salvation in its very beginnings, he stands as an exemplary model of the kindness and humility that the Christian faith raises to a great destiny, and demonstrates the ordinary and simple virtues necessary for men to be good and genuine followers of Christ. Through these virtues, this Just man, caring most lovingly for the Mother of God and happily dedicating himself to the upbringing of Jesus Christ, was placed as a guardian over God the Father’s most precious treasures. Therefore he has been the subject of assiduous devotion on the part of the People of God throughout the centuries, as the support of that mystical body, which is the Church.

The faithful in the Catholic Church have shown continuous devotion to Saint Joseph and have solemnly and constantly honored his memory as the most chaste spouse of the Mother of God and as heavenly Patron of the Universal Church. For this reason Blessed Pope John XXIII, in the days of the Most Holy Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, decreed that Saint Joseph’s name be added to the ancient Roman Canon. In response to the petitions received from places throughout the world, the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI deemed them worthy of implementation and graciously approved them. The Supreme Pontiff FRANCIS likewise has recently confirmed them. In this the Pontiffs had before their eyes the full communion of the Saints who, once pilgrims in this world, now lead us to Christ and unite us with him.

Accordingly, mature consideration having been given to all the matters mentioned here above, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, by virtue of the faculties granted by the Supreme Pontiff FRANCIS, is pleased to decree that the name of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary is henceforth to be added to Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV, as they appear in the third typical edition of the Roman Missal, after the name of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as follows:

Eucharistic Prayer II: “ut cum beata Dei Genetrice Virgine Maria, beato Ioseph, eius Sponso, beatis Apostolis”

Eucharistic Prayer III: “cum beatissima Virgine, Dei Genetrice, Maria, cum beato Ioseph, euis Sponso, cum beatis Apostolis”

Eucharistic Prayer IV: “cum beata Virgine, Dei Genetrice, Maria, cum beato Ioseph eius Sponso, cum Apostolis”

As regards the Latin text, these formulas are hereby declared typical. The Congregation itself will soon provide vernacular translations in the more widespread western languages; as for other languages, translations are to be prepared by the Bishops’ Conferences, according to the norm of law, to be confirmed by the Holy See through this Dicastery.

All things to the contrary notwithstanding.

From the offices of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 1 May 2013, on the Memorial of St Joseph the Worker.

(Antonio Card. CANIZARES LLOVERA)

Prefect 

(+ Arthur ROCHE)

Archbishop Secretary