Join in the Novena to St. Joseph! Every day from Wednesday, March 10th through Thursday, March 18th, we will pray to St. Joseph, asking his intercession in preparation for the Solemn Feast of St. Joseph on Friday, March 19th. Pope Francis has urged the faithful to call on St. Joseph to pray for them as they face life’s problems and difficulties. This humble man who served as the chaste spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ is considered one of the great saints of the Church. He is, of course, the father of the Holy Family, but also patron saint of fathers, families, workers, travelers, immigrants, and he has the honor of being called the Patron Saint of the Universal Church! He is also the Patron Saint of a Happy Death (that is, a death in which one has peace, reconciliation with God through the Sacraments, and a great hope for eternal salvation).
A novena is a set of prayers, usually said on the nine days before a feast day. A novena is a spiritual exercise, worthy in itself, but is also considered an occasion to pray for a special intention for oneself or for others. St. Joseph is a holy man, whose intercession is powerful indeed (cf. James 5:16).
There are a wide range of traditional novenas, with a variety of prayer components. The novena prayer we will be using here at St. Joseph, North Bend, will incorporate the prayer from our special “Year of St. Joseph” holy card: