Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church

Today is the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church.  It falls on the Wednesday after the 2nd Sunday of Easter (or the 3rd Wednesday after Easter).  It also has a Common Octave!  The propers for this feast are the same as the Votive Mass of St. Joseph, so it is still in your hand missal.  If you are lucky enough to have a Father Lasance Missal, it is listed at the end of the April feasts.

 This feast was suppressed in 1955 and a new Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1 was established.  This new feast displaced the feast of the Apostles Sts. Philip and James which had been on May 1 since the 6th century.  (More on that in a later post.)

Since this is a moveable feast based on when Easter falls, it can be easy to forget because it is not listed on most traditional calendars.  Wednesday is the day of the week that is dedicated to St. Joseph.  Tradition tells us that he died on a Wednesday in the arms of Jesus and Mary.  This is why he is the Patron of a Happy Death. 

Last year the Papal Conclave began on Wednesday, May 7 which just happened to be this Solemnity of St. Joseph!  The next day (May 8) in the pre-1955 calendar was the feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel.  This was the day that Pope Leo XIV was elected!  There is an unofficial tradition that St. Michael is St. Joseph's Guardian Angel which makes this election even more comforting.  Pray to St. Joseph and St. Michael that Pope Leo will be the pope who will restore the TLM and the traditional Sacraments.  

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church, pray for us!