On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis declared a special Year of St. Joseph to run through December 8, 2021. This marks the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX. Pope Francis began the year with a new Apostolic Letter entitles Patris Corde (With a Father's Heart). The Holy Father reflected that COVID-19 "has helped us see more clearly the imporance of ordinary people who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day." St. Joseph is the epitome of the quiet, ordinary person moving behind the scenes - and yet he shapes all of human history with his quiet guidance, protection, holiness, and acceptance of God's will.
Year of St. Joseph flyer: PDF | PNG
USCCB Year of St. Joseph Webpage - Additional Resources and Initiatives
USCCB Year of St. Joseph - Facebook Page
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Because there is really no definitive teaching on St. Joseph, we can extrapolate from what we know about Jewish culture at the time and what we read in scripture to imagine what he must have been like. We do know that he can teach us about being a spouse, a parent, a follower of Christ. He can show us how to love Jesus and Mary better and, as patron of the family, he is a powerful intercessor for us! Listen in to this insightful conversation about the man who can serve as a model to us all – St. Joseph Podcast Link
Apostolic Letter: Patris Corde: With a Father's Heart: English | Spanish (Español)
Decree on Indulgences for the Year of St. Joseph: English | Spanish (Español)
Intercessions for the Year of St. Joseph: English | Spanish (Español)
USCCB: Prayers in Honor of St. Joseph
-Litany of St. Joseph
-Prayer to St. Joseph after the Rosary
-Other Prayers
Printable Coloring Prayer Card for Children
Resources from the FDLC
LITANY OF SAINT JOSEPH: A NEW TRANSLATION
The Litany of Saint Joseph was first promulgated by the Holy See in 1909. Over one hundred years later, on May 1, 2021, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments published an updated version of the Litany. The new version adds seven invocations, drawn from the writings of recent Popes -- Saint Paul VI, Saint John Paul II, and Pope Francis. In publishing the Latin version of the expanded litany, the Congregation noted that it would fall to the various Conferences of Bishops to publish vernacular translations. These translations would not require confirmation by the Holy See. Accordingly, the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship has approved a new version of the text. The new text has been distributed to the Bishops of the United States, and may be found, in its entirety, on the FDLC website. https://www.fdlc.org/Joseph
Other Prayers:
Prayer to St. Joseph for the Year of St. Joseph
Prayer to St. Joseph for an End to the Pandemic
Prayer to St. Joseph for Protection of Families and the Church
Prayer to St. Joseph for Employment
Prayer to St. Joseph for Workers
For more catechetical resources and reading, please visit the Faith Formation St. Joseph page. This will be updated as resources are curated.
Adapted St. Joseph Activities from National Catholic Partnership on Disability (en Español)
St. Joseph, Columbus Junction | Catholic Messenger Parish Feature
St. Joseph, DeWitt
SS. Mary & Joseph, Ft. Madison (Holy Family Parish) | Catholic Messenger Parish Feature
St. Joseph, Hills | Catholic Messenger Parish Feature
St. Joseph, Montrose | Catholic Messenger Parish Feature
St. Joseph, North English
SS. Joseph & Cabrini, Richland | Catholic Messenger Parish Feature
SS. Mary & Joseph, Sugar Creek | Catholic Messenger Parish Feature
St. Joseph, Wellman | Catholic Messenger Parish Feature
St. Joseph, West Liberty | Catholic Messenger Parish Feature