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On December 8, 2020 Pope Francis proclaimed the following year would be the Year of St. Joseph, honoring the 150th anniversary of the declaration that St. Joseph is the Patron of the Universal Church. You can read Pope Francis’ reflection in his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde and the original declaration, Quamquam Pluries, from Pope Leo XIII.
Throughout this year, all Catholics are called to honor St. Joseph, guardian and protector of the Church and her faithful, through prayer and devotion. We are encouraged to imitate St. Joseph’s virtuous life to fulfill our personal calls to holiness.
St. Joseph is most well-known as the patron saint of fathers, families, and workers. However, he serves as the patron of many causes:
The Holy See has granted special indulgences in honor of the Year of St. Joseph. These indulgences are granted under the normal conditions to the faithful who are detached from any sin and participate in the Year of St. Joseph through any of the following practices:
Wait... what's an indulgence?
“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”
“An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin.” The faithful can gain indulgences for themselves or apply them to the dead.Catechism of the Catholic Church, par. 1471
These practices are outlined in the Holy See’s Decree on the Year of St. Joseph Indulgences.
Consecration to St. Joseph
Consecration to St. Joseph is a 33-day journey through readings and prayer leading up to a St. Joseph feast day during which one recites a prayer of consecration to St. Joseph. Participating in this journey simply means you acknowledge St. Joseph as your spiritual father with the intent to imitate him, entrusting yourself to his paternal care and intercession so you may obtain his virtues and become holy.
For more information about consecration to St. Joseph, please visit the Consecration to St. Joseph website.
Chaste Heart of St. Joseph
The Chaste Heart of St. Joseph devotion is actually based upon an apparition of this beloved saint experienced by Edson Glauber in Brazil occuring from 1994-1998. The Chaste Heart completes the trinity of the three Sacred Hearts of the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
St. Joseph urged Edson to begin devotion to his Chaste Heart to honor Christ and the Blessed Virgin, his beloved spouse. Through this devotion, it is promised that many souls will be saved from the Devil and devotees will grow in chastity, righteousness, and holiness in God’s sight. This devotion will fill the devotee with graces and virtues that allow further growth necessary for holiness. It is also promised that those who honor the Chaste Heart of St. Joseph and do good deeds for the most needy—the sick and dying, of who St. Joseph consoles and protects—will receive the grace of a good death with consolation from both St. Joseph and the Holy Mother and petitions from St. Joseph directly to Christ.
St. Joseph also gave a grave warning to guard ourselves against sins which violate the virtue of purity because it is one of the most beloved virtues by God, which Satan desires to destroy more than anything else. By devoting ourselves to St. Joseph’s Chaste Heart, we can depend on St. Joseph’s protection as the “terror of demons” to guard and guide us.
Devotion to the Chaste Heart of St. Joseph includes celebrating the First Wednesday after the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, mimicking the other Sacred Heart devotions First Friday and First Saturday. By dedicating yourself to this devotion, St. Joseph promises to intercede for you and grant you graces to resolve difficult problems and urgent necessities, in addition to the graces of the Chaste Heart to convert sinners.
St. James is proud to offer a brand new Wednesday evening Mass to help you celebrate this devotion! Join us every Wednesday at 5 p.m. to pray the Holy Rosary with Mass following at 5:30 p.m.
The Cord (Cincture) of St. Joseph originates in Belgium where an Augustinian nun turned to St. Joseph in desperation from experiencing extreme illness, requesting his intercession for her recovery. At the same time she had a cord blessed in St. Joseph’s honor, wearing it constantly. After just a few days she found herself miraculously cured of her disease.
Special graces associated with the Cord of St. Joseph include the saint’s special protection, purity of the soul, the grace of chastity, final perseverance, and particular assistance at the hour of death. Plenary indulgences are also associated with this devotion. In order to obtain these graces, the normal conditions apply.
Alongside wearing the Cord, the following prayer should be recited seven times with the Glory Be:
O Guardian of Virgins and holy Father St. Joseph, into
whose faithful keeping were entrusted Christ Jesus, Innocence
Itself, and Mary, Virgin of virgins, I pray and beseech thee by these
dear pledges, Jesus and Mary, that, being preserved from all uncleanness,
I may with spotless mind, pure heart and chaste body, ever serve Jesus and Mary most chastely all the days of my life. Amen.
The Cord should be made of thread or cotton, blessed by a priest with the faculties for this particular blessing, knotted seven times in honor of the Seven Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph, and worn around the waist for purity, chastity and humility or around the shoulders for obedience.
Similar to many other saints, St. Joseph has his own chaplet which you can pray. Traditionally, the Chaplet of St. Joseph has 15 groups of four beads, resembling the traditional 15 Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Large white beads symbolize St. Joseph’s purity and small blue beads symbolize his piety.
Prayers for the Chaplet can be found in the Prayers section of this page.
Sleeping St. Joseph refers to Scripture passages where Joseph dreamed of God and his angels telling him his will (Matthew 1:24; 2:13-14; 2:19-21). While God normally doesn’t speak to us so dramatically and directly, we learn from this devotion that God speaks to us in the silence of our minds. More importantly, we see the great importance of listening to God’s will and immediately acting upon it!
Pope Francis maintains a devotion to Sleeping St. Joseph where he writes a note and places it underneath a statue of sleeping St. Joseph so the saint may dream about it, praying for the problem the pope may be having.
Year of St. Joseph Prayer
The official prayer of the Year of St. Joseph comes from Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, Quamquam Pluries.
To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.
Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.
O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.
As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.
Amen.
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.
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.
The Litany of St. Joseph during this year is enriched with a plenary indulgence that may be earned once per day, subject to the usual conditions (sacramental confession, reception of Holy Communion, prayer for the intentions of the Pope, and a total detachment to all sin, including venial sin).
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Renowned offspring of David, pray for us.
Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster-father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Diligent protector of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
Joseph most just, pray for us.
Joseph most chaste, pray for us.
Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
Joseph most strong, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of artisans, pray for us.
Glory of home life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of families, pray for us.
Solace of the wretched, Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
V. He made him the lord of His house:
R. And ruler of all His substance.
Let us pray:
O God, who in Thine unspeakable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thine own most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom we reverence as our defender on earth: who livest and reignest world without end.
Amen.
O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.
O Saint Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from your divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, Our Lord, so that having experienced here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers.
O Saint Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Hold Him close in my name and kiss His fine head from me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me.
Amen.
Composed by Pope St. Pius X.
O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death.
Amen.
Receive me, dear and chosen Father, and the offering of every movement of my body and soul, which I desire to present through thee to my blessed Lord.
Purify all! Make all a perfect holocaust! May every pulsation of my heart be a Spiritual Communion, every look and thought an act of love, every action a sweet sacrifice,
every word an arrow of Divine love, every step an advance toward Jesus, every visit to Our Lord as pleasing to God as the errands of Angels, every thought of thee, dear Saint, an act to remind thee that I am thy child.
I recommend to thee the occasions in which I usually fail, particularly… [Mention your intentions here]. Accept each little devotion of the day, though replete with imperfection, and offer it to Jesus, Whose mercy will overlook all, since He regards not so much the gift as the love of the giver.
Amen.
Remember, O most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, my great protector, Saint Joseph, that no one ever had recourse to your protection, or implored your aid without obtaining relief. Confiding therefore in your goodness, I come before you. Do not turn down my petitions, foster father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them.
Amen.
Dear Jesus, we believe that You are here, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament: that You see us, that You hear us. We adore You with profound reverence. We beg pardon for our sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.
Our Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph our Patron, our guardian angels, our patron saints, intercede for us during this time of prayer and adoration. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
O dearest St. Joseph, I consecrate myself to thy honor and give myself to thee, that thou mayest always be my father, my protector, and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me a great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life. After thine example, may I do all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary! And do thou, O Blessed St. Joseph, pray for me that I may share in the peace and joy of thy holy death.
Amen.
The Trintena is a 30-day prayer to St. Joseph for a special intention. Courtesy of EWTN.
Ever blessed and glorious Joseph, kind and loving father, and helpful friend of all in sorrow! You are the good father and protector of orphans, the defender of the defenseless, the patron of those in need and sorrow. Look kindly on my request. My sins have drawn down on me the just displeasure of my God, and so I am surrounded with unhappiness. To you, loving guardian of the Family of Nazareth, do I go for help and protection.
Listen, then, I beg you, with fatherly concern, to my earnest prayers, and obtain for me the favors I ask.
I ask it by the infinite mercy of the eternal Son of God, which moved Him to take our nature and to be born into this world of sorrow.
I ask it by the weariness and suffering you endured when you found no shelter at the inn of Bethlehem for the holy Virgin, nor a house where the Son of God could be born. Then, being everywhere refused, you had to allow the Queen of Heaven to give birth to the world’s Redeemer in a cave.
I ask it by the loveliness and power of that sacred Name, Jesus, which you conferred on the adorable infant.
I ask it by that painful torture you felt at the prophecy of holy Simeon, which declared the Child Jesus and His holy Mother future victims of our sins and of their great love for us.
I ask it through your sorrow and pain of soul when the angel declared to you that the life of the Child Jesus was sought by His enemies. From their evil plan you had to flee with Him and His Blessed Mother to Egypt. I ask it by all the suffering, weariness, and labors of that long and dangerous journey.
I ask it by all your care to protect the Sacred Child and His Immaculate Mother during your second journey, when you were ordered to return to your own country. I ask it by your peaceful life in Nazareth where you met with so many joys and sorrows.
I ask it by your great distress when the adorable Child was lost to you and His Mother for three days. I ask it by your joy at finding Him in the Temple, and by the comfort you found at Nazareth, while living in the company of the Child Jesus. I ask it by the wonderful submission He showed in His obedience to you.
I ask it by the perfect love and conformity you showed in accepting the Divine order to depart from this life, and from the company of Jesus and Mary. I ask it by the joy which filled your soul, when the Redeemer of the world, triumphant over death and hell, entered into the possession of His kingdom and led you into it with special honors.
I ask it through Mary’s glorious Assumption, and through that endless happiness you have with her in the presence of God.
O good father! I beg you, by all your sufferings, sorrows, and joys, to hear me and obtain for me what I ask.
(make your request)
Obtain for all those who have asked my prayers everything that is useful to them in the plan of God. Finally, my dear patron and father, be with me and all who are dear to me in our last moments, that we may eternally sing the praises of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Amen.
To effectively obtain the graces through St. Joseph, use these prayers in conjunction with the Seven Sundays devotion.
Composed by Ven. Januarius Sarnelli, C.S.S.R. (d. 1744).
First Sorrow: The doubt of St. Joseph. (Matt. 1:19)
But Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wishing to expose her to reproach, was minded to put her away privately.
First Joy: The message of the Angel. (Matt. 1:20)
But while he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Do not be afraid, Joseph, son of David, to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit.
O chaste Spouse of Mary most holy, glorious St. Joseph, great was the trouble and anguish of your heart when you wert minded to put away privately your inviolate Spouse, yet your joy was unspeakable when the surpassing mystery of the Incarnation was made known to you by the Angel!
By this sorrow and this joy, we beseech you to comfort our souls, both now and in the sorrows of our final hour, with the joy of a good life and a holy death after the pattern of your own, in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Second Sorrow: The poverty of Jesus’ birth. (Luke 2:7)
And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Second Joy: The birth of the Savior. (Luke 2:10-11)
And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be to all people; for today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord.”
O most blessed Patriarch, glorious St. Joseph, who was chosen to be the foster father of the Word made flesh, your sorrow at seeing the Child Jesus born in such poverty was suddenly changed into heavenly exultation when you did hear the angelic hymn and beheld the glories of that resplendent night.
By this sorrow and this joy, we implore you to obtain for us the grace to pass over from life’s pathway to hear the angelic songs of praise, and to rejoice in the shining splendor of celestial glory.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Third Sorrow: The Circumcision. (Luke 2:21)
And when eight days were fulfilled for his circumcision, his name was called Jesus, the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Third Joy: The Holy Name of Jesus. (Matt. 1:25)
And he did not know her until she brought forth her first born son. And he called his name Jesus.
O glorious St. Joseph you faithfully obeyed the law of God, and your heart was pierced at the sight of the Precious Blood that was shed by the Infant Savior during His Circumcision, but the Name of Jesus gave you new life and filled you with quiet joy.
By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace to be freed from all sin during life, and to die rejoicing, with the holy Name of Jesus in our hearts and on our lips.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Fourth Sorrow: The prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34)
And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary his mother, “Behold this child is destined for the fall and the rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that shall be contradicted. And your own soul a sword shall pierce.
Fourth Joy: The effects of the Redemption. (Luke 2:38)
And coming up at that very hour, she began to give praise to the Lord, and spoke of him to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem.
O most faithful Saint who shared the mysteries of our Redemption, glorious St. Joseph, the prophecy of Simeon regarding the sufferings of Jesus and Mary caused you to shudder with mortal dread, but at the same time filled you with a blessed joy for the salvation and glorious resurrection which, he foretold, would be attained by countless souls.
By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that we may be among the number of those who, through the merits of Jesus and the intercession of Mary the Virgin Mother, are predestined to a glorious resurrection.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Fifth Sorrow: The flight into Egypt. (Matt. 2:14)
So he arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and withdrew into Egypt.
Fifth Joy: The overthrow of the idols of Egypt. (Is. 19:1)
The burden of Egypt. Behold the Lord will ascend upon a swift cloud and will enter into Egypt, and the idols of Egypt will be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst thereof.
O most watchful Guardian of the Incarnate Son of God, glorious St. Joseph, what toil was your in supporting and waiting upon the Son of the most high God, especially in the flight into Egypt! Yet at the same time, how you did rejoice to have always near you God Himself, and to see the idols of the Egyptians fall prostrate to the ground before Him.
By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us the grace of keeping ourselves in safety from the infernal tyrant, especially by flight from dangerous occasions; may every idol of earthly affection fall from our hearts; may we be wholly employed in serving Jesus and Mary, and for them alone may we live and happily die.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Sixth Sorrow: The return from Egypt. (Matt. 2:22)
But hearing that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there; and being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee.
Sixth Joy: Life with Jesus and Mary at Nazareth. (Luke 2:39)
And when they had fulfilled all things prescribed in the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, into their own town of Nazareth.
O glorious St. Joseph, an angel on earth, you did marvel to see the King of Heaven obedient to your commands, but your consolation in bringing Jesus out of the land of Egypt was troubled by your fear of Archelaus; nevertheless, being assured by the Angel, you dwelt in gladness at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary.
By this sorrow and this joy, obtain for us that our hearts may be delivered from harmful fears, so that we may rejoice in peace of conscience and may live in safety with Jesus and Mary and may, like you, die in their company.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Seventh Sorrow: The loss of the Child Jesus. (Luke 2:45)
And not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem in search of him
Seventh Joy: The finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:46)
And it came to pass after three days, that they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
O glorious St. Joseph, pattern of all holiness, when you did lose, through no fault of your own, the Child Jesus, you sought Him sorrowing for the space of three days, until with great joy you did find Him again in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors.
By this sorrow and this joy, we supplicate you, with our hearts upon our lips, to keep us from ever having the misfortune to lose Jesus through mortal sin; but if this supreme misfortune should befall us, grant that we may seek Him with unceasing sorrow until we find Him again, ready to show us His great mercy, especially at the hour of death; so that we may pass over to enjoy His presence in Heaven; and there, in company with you, may we sing the praises of His Divine mercy forever.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be…
Antiphon: And Jesus Himself was beginning about the age of thirty years, being (as it was supposed) the Son of Joseph.
V. Pray for us, O holy Joseph.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God, Who in Your ineffable Providence did vouchsafe to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Your most holy Mother, grant, we beseech You, that he whom we venerate as our protector on earth may be our intercessor in Heaven. Who lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.