Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster-father of Our Lord, born probably Bethlehem; died probably Nazareth. All that we know about this saint is that he was a direct descendant of David, that he was a just and pious man, and that he was a poor man and an humble carpenter. The Gospel relates that he was espoused to Mary and that he was thinking of putting her away when an angel revealed to him the Mystery of the Incarnation (Matthew 1). From that time, he took care of the Mother and Child and provided for their necessities. When he died is not known, but it is probable that he was not living when Our Lord began to preach. Public recognition of Saint Joseph is first found among the Eastern Copts in the 4th century; the Church began to celebrate his feast in the 6th century. Among the saints who had a special devotion to him are Saint Teresa and Saint Francis de Sales. The solemnity of his patronage of the universal Church, declared in 1870, by Pope Pius IX is kept on Wednesday of the second week after Easter. Wednesday is the day of the week and March the month given over to devotion to him. Patron of carpenters and of a happy death. Emblems: rod and plane. Feast, Roman Calendar, March 19,.
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