Feast of St. Joseph: Why Christians celebrate the foster father of Jesus on this day
Rhode Island priest reveals how St. Joseph stands as a model of virtue in a secular world
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}March 19 is the Feast of St. Joseph — also known as St. Joseph's Day.
The day celebrates the life of St. Joseph, "the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, foster father of Jesus Christ, and patron of the universal Catholic Church," Fr. Angelo N. Carusi told Fox News Digital.
Carusi is pastor at St. Rocco’s Church in Johnston, Rhode Island.
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St. Joseph's legacy remains influential even to this day, though there is not much about him written in the Bible.
"I think it’s rather amazing that there are no recorded words of St. Joseph in the Bible — and yet, there are more churches named after him and more images of him throughout the world than any other saint, except, of course, Jesus and Mary," said Fr. Carusi.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fr. Angelo Carusi, left, is pastor of St. Rocco's Church in Johnston, Rhode Island. He said St. Joseph is particularly venerated by Italians and those of Italian descent, thanks to a purported miracle during a drought in Sicily. (Courtesy Fr. Angelo Carusi/Getty Images)
St. Joseph is particularly venerated by Italians and those of Italian descent, thanks to a purported miracle during a drought in Sicily in the 17th century, said Carusi.
Carusi's parish was established in the early 20th century to serve the growing Italian immigrant population in Johnston.
"In the church where I serve as pastor, St. Rocco's in Johnston, Rhode Island, there's a beautiful stained-glass window of St. Joseph, and on the bottom are etched these words, 'Ite ad Joseph,' which is Latin for, ‘Go to Joseph.’"
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And while the phrase "Go to Joseph" may seem simple, these words are "so profound," said Carusi.
"If you’re having a problem in your marriage, go to Joseph. If you’re struggling as a father, go to Joseph. If you’re having a problem at work, go to Joseph. If you’re facing a grave illness or death, go to Joseph," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Priests in Malta carry a statue of St. Joseph as part of a procession on St. Joseph's Day, a solemnity observed every year on March 19. (Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
Catholics believe in the intercession of the saints — meaning they ask a saint in heaven to pray for a certain outcome and intercede with Jesus Christ.
"St. Joseph is, for us, a model of faith, justice, hope, charity, obedience, tenacity and chastity," said Carusi.
He continued, "In our world that is so secular, we need these virtues more than ever."
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St. Joseph's Day is a solemnity, meaning it "is the highest rank of celebration," said the Catholic Answers. This also means that even though it is during Lent each year, normal fasting rules do not apply as part of the celebration of the day.
"One beautiful tradition for St. Joseph’s Day is the St. Joseph’s Table," said Carusi.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A St. Joseph's Table from an ice cream parlor in New Orleans, Louisiana. This Italian tradition honoring St. Joseph began in the Middle Ages, said Carusi. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The practice of the St. Joseph's Table started in Italy, after Sicilians asked St. Joseph to intercede and end a drought.
"Miraculously, it rained," he said.
"Their harvest was more plentiful than ever."
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To mark the miracle each year, families in Sicily began making a "St. Joseph Table," which featured "three tiers of various types of breads, pastas, thick vegetable soups, olives, figs, desserts, flowers and a statue or image of St. Joseph on the top tier," said Carusi.
It is also a custom to eat Italian pastries on St. Joseph's Day.
"Over the years, this tradition has become a living work of art," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}When Italians began moving to the United States, they brought these traditions with them.
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It is also a custom to eat Italian pastries on St. Joseph's Day, particularly zeppole — deep-fried pastries topped with a maraschino cherry, said Carusi.
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