Pope Francis recalls the 150th anniversary of the declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To mark this, the Pontiff has set aside 8 December 2020, to 8 December 2021 as a Holy Year and written the Apostolic Letter “Patris corde” (“With a Father’s Heart”).
At the conclusion of his Letter, Pope Francis added a prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages all of us to pray together:
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To you God entrusted his only Son; in you Mary placed her trust; with you Christ became man. Blessed Joseph, to us too, show yourself a father and guide us in the path of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage, and defend us from every evil. Amen.
There is a special ‘Consecration’ to St. Joseph available.
We will be marking this year in our own parish at a later time.
Monasterboice Parish 