Loretto joins in honoring St. Patrick, St. Joseph this fourth week of Lent

This week we continue on our Lenten journey while celebrating two major saints’ days: St. Patrick (March 17) and St. Joseph (March 19).

St. Patrick’s Day spiritually commemorates the life of St. Patrick, a 5th-century missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland after escaping slavery. It is a religious feast day celebrating faith, repentance and divine guidance, often using the shamrock to symbolize the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). 

St. Joseph, a humble and faith-filled man, stood firm forever in the love of God, and in the love of Mary and Jesus. His was a vocation of loving and righteous strength. He was a just man who protected Jesus and Mary and did as the angels told him to do. His care for the Holy Family is worthy of our prayers to St. Joseph. In 1870, Pope Pius IX declared him Patron of the Universal Church. By bestowing this title upon St. Joseph, Pius IX emphasized the saint’s role as a guardian and protector, not just of the Holy Family, but of the entire Church. Pope Pius XII created a feast for St. Joseph the Worker on May 1. Pope Leo used the image of Joseph to defend the dignity of workers.

Many years ago, the Sisters of Loretto named the Motherhouse Infirmary – now called the Loretto Living Center – under the protection of St. Joseph. The Church calls St. Joseph the patron of a happy death. Loretto calls him patron of healing and peaceful death. “Joy and gladness he will find.” And so have we.

This fourth week of Lent, let us pray together: In company with St. Patrick and St. Joseph, we ask for God’s Word to be poured into our hearts. We ask for peace and unity in this time of world divisions. We ask St. Patrick and St. Joseph to bless us all and guide our ways.