A novena is nine days of prayer focused on a particular theme. This novena to St. Joseph is a fitting conclusion to the Year of St. Joseph declared by Pope Francis for the Universal Church and celebrated by the Diocese of La Crosse. Each day, you will reflect on a particular title given to St. Joseph. Parishes, families and individuals are encouraged to begin on Monday, Nov. 29 and conclude on Tuesday, Dec. 7, with the consecration to be made on Wednesday, Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the closing of the Year of St. Joseph. As you pray, begin with the reflection, consider what intention(s) you would like to offer and conclude with the Memorare to St. Joseph.

Bishop William Patrick Callahan invites all to celebrate and pray with him at St. Joseph the Workman Cathedral on May 1, 2020, via livestreamed Mass, beginning at 12:00 noon. This Mass will begin a special year of thanksgiving, petition, and honor to St. Joseph. In the year ahead, the diocese will offer prayers for his blessings upon our families (Patron Saint of Husbands, Fathers, and Families), our beloved dead (Patron Saint of a Happy Death), and the special needs of our Diocese (Patron Saint of the Universal Church).

It is, of course, painfully obvious for all of us to know that our plans often turn to dust in the midst of possible tragedies and sicknesses that come our way. So, please open this singular year with Bishop Callahan at noon on May 1, and follow the Diocesan website for further information and possible events.

Why is it so important that we turn to St. Joseph for his help during these very difficult times? Four of St. Joseph’s numerous titles provide a brief sampling of the importance of St. Joseph as our spiritual father:

• As Head of the Holy Family, you can ask for his protection and safety for each member of your family.
• As Comfort of the Afflicted, you can turn to him for comfort through the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• As Hope of the Sick, you can turn to him for hope if you or someone you know is sick.
• As Patron of the Dying, you can entrust those who are dying to him, as St. Joseph died a happy death gazing upon Jesus and resting in the arms of Mary. God desires that each one of us die a happy death, similar to that of St. Joseph.

With the Apostolic Letter Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”), Pope Francis has proclaimed a “Year of Saint Joseph” from 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021. This year recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. The Holy Father wrote Patris corde against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, which, he says, has helped us see more clearly the importance of “ordinary” people who, though far from the limelight, exercise patience and offer hope every day. In this, they resemble Saint Joseph, “the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence,” who nonetheless played “an incomparable role in the history of salvation.”
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Our diocesan Year of St. Joseph comes as our nation is in crisis, facing the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on our economy, and more recently the brutal killing of George Floyd and the violence that has come in its wake. Who better to turn to than the man who protected and provided for Jesus and Mary as they faced dangers and hardships? In everything, St. Joseph sought to know and do the will of God. Noble, strong, quiet, pure: these are some of the traits he exemplified. Find a beautiful prayer card and more on the Year of St. Joseph here.

An excerpt from "Consecration to St. Joseph, The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father" by Donald H. Callaway, MIC:

“Now is the time of St. Joseph! God has given clear indications that He wants His people to pay more attention to St. Joseph–clearer indications than in any previous era in Church history. In 1961, St. Pope John XXIII put it very bluntly. He wrote:

In the Holy Church’s worship, right from the beginning, Jesus the Word of God made man, has enjoyed the adoration that belongs to Him, incommunicable as the splendor of the substance of His Father, a splendor reflected in the glory of His saints. From the earliest times, Mary, His mother, was close behind Him, in the pictures of the catacombs and the basilicas, where she was devoutly venerated as the ‘Holy Mother of God.’ But Joseph, except for some slight sprinkling of references to him here and there in the writings of the Fathers of the Church, for long centuries remained in the background, in his characteristic concealment, almost as a decorative figure in the overall picture of the Savior’s life. It took time for devotion to him to go beyond those passing glances and take root in the hearts of the faithful, and then surge forth in the form of special prayers and of a profound sense of trusting abandonment. The fervent joy of pouring forth these deepest feelings of the heart in so many impressive ways has been saved for modern times!”

This excellent book with short readings for 33 days on St. Joseph is available for purchase at:

• Marian Catechist Bookstore at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse: mariancatechist.com/product/consecration-to-st-joseph/
• Fr. Donald Callaway’s webpage: fathercalloway.com/books-and-gifts