Archdiocese of Denver

25 ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER | THE YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH St. Joseph's many marvelous feasts On March 19, less than four months after Pope Francis announced the celebration of the Year of St. Joseph, the Church celebrated the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the highest feast day dedicated to Jesus' foster father and the head of the Holy Family. B ut while Catholics may have eaten their fill of zeppole and other St. Joseph's Day treats, they need not think that their only chance to celebrate this great saint has come and gone. There are many days throughout the liturgical year during which they can honor the Guardian of Virgins, Hope of the Sick, Patron of the Dying, Terror of Demons – St. Joseph. Most of the days included in this article can also be dates on which to conclude a Consecra- tion to St. Joseph, using the recent book by Father Donald Calloway, MIC (see page 30 to learn more). BY MARY FARROW Contributing Writer F E A ST DAYS JAN UARY 2 3 The Holy Spouses In the 1400s, French theologian Jean Gerson proposed a feast day honoring the marriage of Joseph and Mary of the Holy Family. The feast grew in popularity among certain regions and religious orders. St. Joseph Marello introduced the feast to the Oblates of St. Joseph in the 1800s because he "reflected upon the fact that the greatest saints of all time, Mary and Joseph, lived an ordinary, hidden life, and that sanctity therefore consisted in daily expressions of love in family life, work, and prayer," the Oblates state on their website. Where it is celebrated, the feast can be a time for couples to renew their marriage vows to one another. ⊲

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