Submit your intentions for the St. Joseph Novena (March 10-18) and then join us March 19 at 12pm for the Solemnity of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and protector of the Carmelite Order.

Solemnity of St. Joseph: The spouse of Mary the mother of Jesus and the legal father of Jesus according to Jewish law, Joseph is a model of humility and obedience to God’s will. He followed God’s instructions, given by angels in dreams, and took the pregnant Mary into his home as his wife, protected her and Jesus at the child’s birth in Bethlehem through the family’s sojourn in Egypt, and provided for them as a carpenter in Nazareth. This feast, which was celebrated locally as early as the ninth century, became a universal feast in the fifteenth century, when it was placed on the liturgical calendar. Pope Pius IX named St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church in 1870; he is also the patron saint of carpenters, the dying, and workers.

Anniversary of Inauguration of Pope Francis: Pope Francis' inauguration took place at St. Peter's Square on March 19, 2013. Because designation as a basilica indicates a special bond of communion with the pope, the parish must celebrate “with particular care” the anniversary of the pope’s election or his inauguration into his pastoral ministry. As such, March 19, in honor of Pope Francis’ inauguration, is one of our designated Red Letter Days. Learn more about Red Letter Days here.