Artwork by Steffi Andrat Faria
A tornado is in sight of the church! Young Veronica and Claire, sheltering in a basement with no electricity, are aided by a mysterious stranger who shares with them recollections of the life and legend of Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus, and the many celebrations and traditions throughout the world of the day honoring one of Christianity’s greatest saints.
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LEARN MORE! Though arguably the quietest figure (never actually speaking in the Bible) closely associated with Jesus, his foster father, St. Joseph, has long been revered for his role in the Holy Family as protector and provider, the strong, quiet figure supporting young Jesus and Mary as the Holy Child grew.
By the 10th century, March 19 was being celebrated as a feast day — later a solemnity — in his honor (in more recent years, St. Joseph the Worker was added to the calendar on May 1), though it wasn’t until the 15th century that the day became more widespread in Western Europe, and it was during that period that Pope Sixtus IV designated March 19th as a feast day for St. Joseph on the Roman calendar.
In 1847, Pope Pius XI extended the feast of his patronage to the entire Church, declaring him Patron and Guardian of the Universal Church in 1870. St. Joseph’s Day, though it always falls during the penitential season of Lent, is a solemnity in the Catholic Church and thus a day of celebration, when Lenten St. Joseph’s Day / The Feast of St. Joseph restrictions are paused.
The day has long been one of joyous celebration in a number of countries and cultures around the world, often accompanied by special foods, traditions, and events. St. Josephs Day serves as Fathers Day in the country of Spain, appropriately enough, and Italy and Italians are especially known for celebrating the feast with gusto (even as Irish Americans are associated with another feast day just two days earlier on the calendar, that of St. Patrick).
In many homes and churches, a St. Joseph altar, or table, is set with a statue of the saint displayed alongside a variety of food and decor. Perhaps not surprisingly, St. Joseph is the patron saint of fathers, carpenters, workers, and married people, among others.
As can be seen in the story in this book, legends abound pertaining to the saint, from the Capistrano swallows to the mysterious staircase to fairy tales and numerous Christmas-related fables.
