St. Joseph, Our Guide

Dedicated to the honor and devotion of St. Joseph

St. Joseph, Our Guide

St. Joseph Chaplet … Seven Sundays of Devotion

An effective means of obtaining special graces through the intercession of St. Joseph is to honor his seven sorrows and seven joys by the practicing the Seven Sundays devotion. The Seven Sundays in honor of St. Joseph are observed by receiving Holy Communion in his honor on seven consecutive Sundays, and on each Sunday the prayers in honor of the Seven Sorrows and the Seven Joys of St. Joseph for that Sunday are recited. Those prayers are on this website at … St. Joseph Chaplet LINK. This devotion may be practiced at any time of the year, but especially on the seven Sundays preceding his solemnity on March 19th.

Fr. David Bellittiere, Pastor at 14 Holy Helpers Parish in West Seneca, NY, recorded the prayers for each Sunday. You can follow along with him by simply clicking the audio LINK:

Consecration to St. Joseph

This year the Diocese of Buffalo is sponsoring a “Consecration to St. Joseph” starting on Feb. 15, 2021. To show your commitment to St. Joseph “… you entrust yourself entirely into his paternal care so that he can help you acquire his virtues and become holy.” For more information and access to consecration materials use the following link … DOB Consecration to St. Joseph LINK. For an easy to follow and print copy of the consecration booklet … Consecration to St. Joseph Booklet LINK.

Pope Francis proclaims “Year of St Joseph”

With the Apostolic Letter “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark the occasion, the Holy Father has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021.

Patris corde highlights “the creative courage” of St. Joseph, which “emerges especially in the way we deal with difficulties.” “The carpenter of Nazareth,” explains the Pope, was able to turn a problem into a possibility by trusting in divine providence.” Joseph is a creatively courageous father whose actions make him an example of love

In his letter, Pope Francis notes how, “Every day, for over forty years, following Lauds [Morning Prayer]” he has “recited a prayer to Saint Joseph taken from a nineteenth-century French prayer book of the Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary.” This prayer, he says, expresses devotion and trust, and even poses a certain challenge to Saint Joseph,” on account of its closing words: “My beloved father, all my trust is in you.  Let it not be said that I invoked you in vain, and since you can do everything with Jesus and Mary, show me that your goodness is as great as your power.”

At the conclusion of his Letter, Pope Francis adds another prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages all of us to pray together:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil.  Amen.

For the complete text of this Vatican news notice go to … Year of St. Joseph LINK.

Welcome!  I am glad you found this website devoted to St. Joseph.  Its purpose is to help you grow closer to St. Joseph and through him be drawn closer to Mary and Jesus.  This website is in its infancy stage so I hope you will visit it often and participate in its growth.  You can email your ideas to Reflections@14hh.org.

Brief Background:

God the Father wanted Jesus to have both a father and mother to watch over and guide Him.  St. Joseph has a tremendous love for Mary and Jesus.  Jesus not only learned from His earthly father, but also was molded by him into a man for God.

Many of the Saints throughout the centuries teach us that Joseph played a crucial role in God’s plan for redeeming the world.  They also talk about St. Joseph’s love for Christ’s people on earth and his willingness to help them. 

In 1847, (188 years ago) the Diocese of Buffalo was founded and placed under St. Joseph’s protection.  Twenty-three years later, in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph as the patron of the Universal Church.  This means that the Church formally recognized St. Joseph as the father of the mystical body of Christ, the Church.  Another way of saying this is that St. Joseph is your spiritual father, like the Blessed Virgin Mary is your spiritual mother.  This year is the 150th anniversary of the naming of St. Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church.  

When Mary appeared at Fatima, Joseph also appeared with Jesus and blessed the people.  If you have a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, reflect on how happy it will make her when you are honoring her husband.

For now I would like to encourage you to turn to St. Joseph and let him guide you.  Once again I encourage you to visit this page often and send your ideas and suggestions to the email address … Reflections@14hh.org

May St. Joseph come to the aid of our troubled world and help all fathers to follow his example of being a man dedicated to God and a great dad and husband.

Peace and Healing

Fr. David Bellittiere