Patron saints of the Catholic church are a sacred group. Saints selected as a patron are believed to impart special protection for a certain place, group of people, cause, or event. St. Patrick’s Guild wants to honor the important histories and unique stories of patron saints by featuring one each month. Our third featured patron saint of the Catholic Church is Patron Saint Joseph.

Patron Saint Joseph is clearly one of the most well-known and popular saints in history. He was the husband of Mary and the stepfather (some refer to him as foster father) of Jesus. Hence, he is a perfect choice for December, the month of Jesus’ birth, because he accepted Jesus as his savior and child, even though Jesus was not biologically his. Indeed, that is one of the most enduring stories of Patron Saint Joseph, the story of how he was told of Jesus’ impending arrival. Joseph was wrestling with the fact that he had recently found out Mary was pregnant; he assumed she had been adulterous because he knew the baby could not be his. He felt he must leave her, but did not want her to suffer the painful consequences (adultery was against the law). During this time, he was visited by an angel who told him that Mary was pregnant with the son of God; she was a virgin (a miracle!) and there had been no adultery. He accepted this information and the pregnant Mary immediately and without question. Patron Saint Joseph was ready to embrace his role as earthly father to Jesus.

Patron Saint Joseph was steadfast in his protection of the young Jesus, leaving his home, family and friends at one point in order to find safe haven for Mary and Jesus. Several additional biblical stories tell of this willingness to protect the young son of God at any cost. He also taught Jesus his trade of carpentry. Interestingly, despite his modest trade and commitment to working with his hands, Patron Saint Joseph actually came from noble lineage. Yet many believe, just like with Jesus, he accepted people from all walks of life.

Patron Saint Joseph is so special in the Catholic church that he has two feast days: March 19 for Joseph the husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the worker. St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers, homes/family, carpenters, and social justice. In the Catholic tradition, Patron Saint Joseph is seen as a boost to real estate sales. Home sellers are supposed to bury a Patron Saint Joseph statue upside down in the yard (with feet pointing to the sky or heaven). The location of the statue can vary, but most importantly you must possess strong faith and confidence in Patron Saint Joseph. After the home has sold, the Patron Saint Joseph statue should be removed from the ground and given a place of honor in your new home or abode.

I can personally attest to the effectiveness of this practice - we had 60 showings in our home over two weeks. We also had the busiest open house in our realtor’s career! People loved the home but we just were not getting any offers despite the volume and interest. We buried the statue and, during the third week, even though our showings slowed, we received a very satisfactory offer.

In closing, here is a prayer to Patron Saint Joseph the Worker:

Joseph, by the work of your hands
and the sweat of your brow,
you supported Jesus and Mary,
and had the Son of God as your fellow worker.
Teach me to work as you did,
with patience and perseverance, for God and
for those whom God has given me to support.
Teach me to see in my fellow workers
the Christ who desires to be in them,
that I may always be charitable and forbearing
towards all.
Grant me to look upon work
with the eyes of faith,
so that I shall recognize in it
my share in God’s own creative activity
and in Christ’s work of our redemption,
and so take pride in it.
When it is pleasant and productive,
remind me to give thanks to God for it.
And when it is burdensome,
teach me to offer it to God,
in reparation for my sins
and the sins of the world.

At St. Patrick’s Guild, we offer a selection of Christian church supplies to fit the needs of your church along with faith-based gifts and books. Check out our selection online today or reach out to us personally so we can better serve you.