Year of St. Joseph 20' - 21'
The Vatican announced that this year (December 8, 2020 - December 8, 2021) would be a
year dedicated to St. Joseph, husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus Christ.
The announcement coincides with the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph
as Patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX with the document Quemadmodum Deus on
December 8, 1870.
But a celebration of St. Joseph and a call to focus on his patronage is particularly
relevant in this time of universal turmoil when so many are having difficulty finding
employment, when we are becoming more aware of how much we owe to so many ordinary,
hardworking people, and when our human frailty and mortality are so much in our minds
and in the news. The Church reminds us that we have a powerful ally in Heaven who,
having lived and worked so long in the shadows like so many unsung heroes, is both
Patron of Workers and Patron of a Happy Death.