Monday 1 May 2017

# Saints

Saint Joseph the Worker

Joseph the Carpenter, by Georges de La Tour, 1640s.
The 1st of May is the feast day of Saint Joseph the Worker. Saint Joseph was born in Bethlehem in Judea and later lived in Nazareth. He then became the husband of Our Lady and the adoptive father of Jesus. Saint Joseph had a reputation for being virtuous and was a carpenter by trade. Saint Joseph was thus entrusted with the mission to guard, protect and provide for the temporal needs of Jesus and Our Lady In heaven he continues this mission by being the patron saint of the Catholic Church as well as other causes including fathers, labourers and families. He has two feast days; Saint Joseph the Husband of Mary on March 19th, and the 1st of May for Saint Joseph the Worker. The feast day for May 1st was instituted by Pope Pius XII in 1955 to help emphasise the value of human work in the eyes of God and give labourers a model and intercessor and protector.

Links

WebApp