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From the Pastor’s Desk
This week the Church will celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary on Thursday, March 19. Joseph has a special place in the Cathedral Parish. He is patron of the beloved Sisters of Saint Joseph whose Motherhouse is just a few blocks south on St. George Street. As well, in our Cathedral the Shrine of Saint Joseph is prominent on the west side of the nave.
My mother had a particular love for that Shrine. She love the pottery of Delft – the blue and white earthenware made famous in the city by the same name in Holland. While the tiles of the St. Joseph Shrine are not actually from Delft (they were crafted at the studios of Lee Burnham in Hawthorne, Florida) but are modeled after the famous pottery. They tell the story of Saint Joseph – from his betrothal to Mary, Jesus’ Nativity at Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt and Joseph’s death, to identify just a few. The blue and white coloration of the tiles is the artist’s way of symbolizing the relationship of Joseph with his wife, Mary.
In 1847, Pope Pius IX declared Joseph to be the patron saint of the Universal Church. Many of us know that he is also the patron of a happy death as well as of carpenters and all workers. In his 1989 Apostolic Exhortation, Redemptoris Custos, Pope Saint John Paul II called him “the guardian of the Mystery of God” for the unique role Joseph had in the birth of Jesus from the Virgin Mary. Pope Saint John XXIII added his name to the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I) and, just a few years ago, Pope Francis had Joseph’s name placed permanently in Eucharistic Prayers II, III and IV.
This week as the Church celebrates Saint Joseph, I encourage you to learn what you can of this man who is often called “the quiet saint.” No words of his may be recorded in the Gospels, yet his witness to our Redeemer is indeed powerful.
Love,
Fr. Tom