On the 150th anniversary of Bl. Pope Pius IX’s proclamation of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, a special “Year of St. Joseph” has been declared from today to 8 December 2021.
The Apostolic Penitentiary has yet to update their website. However, a Plenary Indulgence is granted under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharist Communion, and prayer according to the intention of the Roman Pontiff) to the faithful who, with no attachment to sins, participate in the special year in the manner prescribed by the same Apostolic Penitentiary.
In 1870, Pius IX of happy memory wrote in Quemadmodum Deus:
[N]ow that in this most sorrowful time the Church herself is beset by enemies on every side and oppressed by heavy calamities, so that impious men imagine that the gates of hell are at length prevailing against her, the Venerable Prelates of the whole Catholic world have presented to the Sovereign Pontiff their own petitions and those of the faithful confided to their care, praying that he would vouchsafe to constitute St. Joseph Patron of the Catholic Church.
The 2020 Apostolic Letter declaring the special year is entitled in Latin (absurd since they didn’t release a Latin version) Patris corde.
Bl. Pope Pius IX’s document, in English, was – excluding title and ending, 434 words. Patris corde is, in English, 5560 words.
Several things.
Firstly, this is the best birthday present this blog could have. Today this blog is 15 years old.
Next, I am convinced that St Joseph will ask for great graces to be given to Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger. He must be very happy today. Many people will be praying to St. Joseph this year.
Moreover, St. Joseph has been for me a great intercessor in my life when I have really been in a jam.
Additionally, let us not forget the wisdom of the Bux Protocol, which invokes St. Joseph.
I have asked you to pray to St. Joseph for the conversion or overturning of the Fishwrap. HERE A link to that prayer is always in the top menu of this blog.
Personally, I will say Votive Masses in honor of St. Joseph during the year.
Here is a great resource St. Joseph
Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father
by Fr Donald Calloway
I read Fr Calloway’s book this year and consecrated myself to St Joseph this past All Saints Day. I recommend the book highly. I’m very pleased with the timing of this Year of Saint Joseph!
Regarding the length of today’s letter, I read the article at vaticannews.va about it, and wished he had released that instead. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-12/pope-francis-proclaims-year-of-st-joseph.html?s=09&fbclid=IwAR3gKbWbBIX2HoE1m1jWVvCR-TfLZQNy9aNqu7zWDr1zZFGCpsffpUfl5Ts
Church of St Agnes will be devoting a homily series to each title of the Litany of St Joseph. This has been my seven-year old son’s intro to Latin as he leads the Litany in Latin each week with our family & friends via zoom (litany found in the back of Fr Calloway’s book p.234)
This is good news! I also made the St. Joseph consecration this year, on his feast day (March 19th).
Wonderful news and not a moment too soon for the Church! St. Joseph is the special patron of my family and we have every reason to trust in and recommend that advice to “go to Joseph.”
TAN publishing also has a great book of prayers and devotions to St. Joesph. It’s a great resource for those looking where to begin their devotional life to St. Joesph. Honestly, honoring him every Wednesday by reciting his Litany and other prayers is a great start. I’ve been using that book for about 10 years now. It’s excellent.
Ite ad Ioesph! Thank you dear Lord for this great blessing!
Yay, Saint Joseph!! He’s the best. He’s really come to my aid a number of times, but especially this year. Something I’d been waiting for for pretty much my whole life happened on his feast day this spring, and from that came an enormous amount of inner healing and a number of other very good things, the best of which is my finally actually having a relationship with God the Father in which He actually feels like a father and not just someone distant and cold who doesn’t care about my or my heart, and an improved relationship with Our Lady, too–and I’ve been asking for his help on this for a long time. And it all unfolded in a beautiful way I could never have imagined or expected. That’s just priceless, and I totally owe St. Joseph for his assistance.
So, ite ad Joseph? Yes, yes I will. Again and again and again.
So glad to have a year to honor Saint Joseph for the awesome year that’s come to me through his intercession. Fantastic news.
This is such good news! I have always been fascinated and drawn to Saint Joseph.
On the length of the Apostolic Letter, it’s certainly long but actually quite beautiful and clear in my opinion. I wish all the Holy Father’s writings were this clear – no obtuse or odd metaphors. The reflections on the various facets of fatherhood we see in Joseph were great, and relevant to the disaster of fatherhood we see now.
I also thought the Holy Father’s reflections on the current pandemic and Joseph as a model to follow were well made.
I just finished Fr. Calloway’s book and made my consecration to St. Joseph today!
Does a year of St Joseph effectively reinstate Familiaris Consortio & discredit the infamous footnote of Amoris Laetitia?