Last month Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021, in honor of the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s proclamation as Patron of the Universal Church. Why should we as Catholics get to know this important saint better?

I must confess that I myself have struggled over the years to appreciate St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. Within the Holy Family, Jesus the Word-made-flesh is rightfully the center of attention, followed closely by the immaculately conceived Virgin Mary. Although the Gospels do highlight his role in salvation history, not a single word from St. Joseph is recorded in Sacred Scripture.

It is precisely this silent action, however, that I’ve grown to love in St. Joseph. He was a simple man who provided for his family with hard, calloused hands and a soft, obedient heart. This humble diligence earned St. Joseph the title “Patron of Workers” in 1955. Joseph embodied the Scriptural command that St. Paul wrote in his First Letter to the Thessalonians: “aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

As I prepared to graduate from UMBC in 2003, not knowing how easily I’d be able to find local employment with my degree in “Interdisciplinary Studies,” I decided to pray a novena to St. Joseph. My wife Nicole and I were engaged at the time, and I was more than a bit eager to find a stable job to support our prospective family and pay for grad school. I vividly recall kneeling beneath St. Joseph’s statue at Our Lady’s Church in Medley’s Neck, my childhood parish, asking for his intercession in my job search. Although I can’t say I had a strong devotion to St. Joseph at the time, a novena to the patron saint of workers seemed like it was worth a try.

It wasn’t long before the right opportunity presented itself. Over appetizers at a Knights of Columbus event, Fr. Conley mentioned that St. Aloysius Church was hiring a coordinator of Religious Education and he encouraged me to apply. By January of 2004, I had graduated from UMBC and was employed at St. Aloysius Church, where I continue to serve as Director of Religious Education. Thanks for the prayers, St. Joseph!

During this Year of St. Joseph, I look forward to getting to know St. Joseph a bit better, and I encourage you to do the same. I’d especially like to urge you to use the 33-day devotional Consecration to St. Joseph by Fr. Donald Calloway from Monday, February 15 to Friday, March 19, the Solemnity of St. Joseph. Copies of the book can be found at Heavenly Presents in Leonardtown. Sign up on our Year of St. Joseph page to hear about opportunities to participate in this series as a parish!

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