Saint Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus, is revered as a model of humility, obedience, and fatherhood. Though he is not recorded as speaking in the Gospels, his actions reveal a deep faith and unwavering commitment to God’s will. When Mary was found to be pregnant, Joseph, a righteous man, initially planned to quietly divorce her, but he obeyed God’s command in a dream and took her as his wife. Joseph protected and cared for Jesus and Mary, fleeing to Egypt to escape King Herod’s massacre. His feast day, March 19th, honours his role in salvation history.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has decreed that this is a Holy Day of Solemnity to be observed in Canada.