St. Joseph Church

The Year of  St. Joseph & Plenary Indulgence

December 8, 2020 through December 8, 2021

The special year, announced by the Holy Father on Tuesday, goes from December 8, 2020, until December 8, 2021. The announcement came on the same day as an Apostolic Letter, Patris corde, was released by Pope Francis to mark the 150^th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.

Patris corde means “With a Father’s Heart”. The letter describes St. Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father, a creatively courageous father, a working father, and a father in the shadows. In the letter, Pope Francis explains that the aim of his apostolic letter is “to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal.”

The Holy Father connects St. Joseph to the current times, speaking about how ordinary people, even those who are making the biggest difference, are often overlooked. “Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble. Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation,” he writes.

Plenary Indulgence

Also on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Apostolic Penitentiary announced a special Plenary Indulgence for the Year of St. Joseph. The plenary indulgence will be granted under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, detachment from sin, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions) to those who participate in the Year of St Joseph in any of the following ways:

• Meditate for at least 30 minutes on the Lord’s Prayer or take part in a Spiritual Retreat with meditation on St. Joseph.
• Perform a spiritual or corporal act of mercy following St. Joseph’s example.

Corporal Works of Mercy                                   Spiritual Works of Mercy

feed the hungry                                                               instruct                                   
shelter the homeless                                                      advise
clothe the naked                                                             console           
visit the sick and imprisoned                                       comfort
bury the dead                                                                  forgive
give alms to the poor                                                     bear wrongs patiently

• For families or engaged couples who recite the Holy Rosary together.
• Entrust your daily work to St. Joseph or ask St. Joseph’s intercession for the unemployed to find dignifying work.
• Recite the Litany of St. Joseph or any other Prayer to St. Joseph for the persecuted Church and relief of all Christians suffering from persecution.

For the sick

Amid the ongoing Covid-19 health crisis, the gift of the plenary indulgence is also extended to the sick, the elderly, the dying, and all those who for legitimate reasons are unable to leave their homes.

They too can obtain the plenary indulgences if they are detached from any sin and have the intention of fulfilling, as soon as possible, the three usual conditions and recite an act of piety in honor of St. Joseph, offering to God the pains and hardships of their lives.

The Litany of St. Joseph can be found HERE.