Archdiocese of Denver

26 THE YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH | ARCHDIOCESE OF DENVER MARCH 19 Solemnity of St. Joseph This primary and highest feast of St. Joseph is celebrated annually on March 19. Because this feast is a solemnity, even though it falls during Lent, the faithful are dis- pensed of their Lenten obligations on this day. Since the 10th century, several West- ern countries celebrated March 19 as the Feast of St. Joseph, with the feast day becom- ing the official practice of the Church in the 1500s. Large celebrations of this feast are particu- larly popular in Italy, especially in the town of Sicily, of which St. Joseph is the patron saint. Italian-American celebrations of St. Joseph's Day also grew in popularity as a point of Ital- ian-American pride, following just two days after St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Besides attending Mass and praying the St. Joseph novena, St. Joseph's Day traditions include the making and eating of zeppole, an Italian cream puff-like pastry, and the decora- tion of large St. Joseph's tables. These tables include a statue or icon of the saint, along with gifts and food to be eaten at feast day parties. Many cities also hold St. Joseph's Day parades. N OVE M B E R 1 -2 All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day In November, the Church remembers the faithful who have passed on in a special way – both those who are known to be in heaven (the saints) and those who may still be in purgatory (the souls). Both of these feast days are an excellent time to honor St. Joseph, who is called Patron of the Dying and Delight of the Saints. Additionally, the entire month of November is dedicated to praying for all those who have died and would be an ideal time to ask for the intercession of St. Joseph. While the death of St. Joseph is not in the Bible, it is held by Church tradition, and confirmed in the visions of some saints, that St. Joseph would have died in the presence of Jesus and Mary, making him the patron of a happy death. "Since we all must die, we should cherish a special devotion to St. Joseph that he may obtain for us a happy death," St. Alphonsus Liguori said. D ECE M B E R 1 0 Our Lady of Loreto The feast of Our Lady of Loreto celebrates the house of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Holy Family. This house is believed to be the site of the Annunciation, as well as the home where the Holy Family would have lived for many years after their return from Egypt. This is where St. Joseph would have spent much of his life, loving and caring for Mary and Jesus. This feast day could be an opportunity to meditate more deeply on one of the titles of St. Joseph, which is Glory of Domestic life. This house is also believed to be the place where St. Joseph died, surrounded by the loving presence of Jesus and Mary. The house, now located in Loreto, Italy, is believed by some to have been magically transported by angels from Nazareth in the 1200s – first to a spot in Croatia, and then to Loreto. The holy site draws many pilgrims every year. F E B R UARY 2 The Presentation of the Lord The feast of the Presentation marks the day that Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, to consecrate him and offer sacrifices to God in the Jewish tradition. During the Presentation, Simeon the prophet, who had been awaiting the Messiah, announced that he had now seen the salvation of the Lord. Simeon also prophesied to Mary: "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed." While this was not directed at Joseph, he would have heard it and realized that he would not be alive for Jesus' Passion and death, and Mary's great sorrow. Several saints have reflected on St. Joseph in this moment, including Blessed Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, a Mexican woman who established Religious of the Cross of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "And how greatly you (St. Joseph) suffered at the vision of her (Mary's) martyrdom without you, the solitude of the wife whom you loved so well. Oh what martyrdom wracked your soul at the for- evision of the Passion and the seven swords which would pierce the Immaculate Heart of Mary. You dreamed of her alone, alone without Jesus - and this affliction embittered your happy life," she wrote in a reflection included in Father Calloway's Consecration to St. Joseph. This feast day is traditionally celebrated by the blessing of can- dles and candlelit processions. It is also a good time to meditate on the devotion of St. Joseph's Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys.

• Cover