Notre Dame de Rouen. The façade of the Gothic Church in France. Photographer: Hippo1947. Licence: SHUTTERSTOCK.
Showing posts with label The Solemnity Of Saint Joseph. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Solemnity Of Saint Joseph. Show all posts

Wednesday 18 April 2018

The Solemnity Of Saint Joseph, Patron Of The Universal Church.


This Article is taken from and can be read in full at,
NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT


The Coronation of Saint Joseph, by Juan de Valdés Leal (1622-1690).


By: GREGORY DIPIPPO.

From The Decree of The Sacred Congregation for Rite Inclytus Patriarcha Joseph, dated
10 September 1847, extending The Feast of The Patronage of Saint Joseph to The General Calendar. The translation is Gregory Dipippio's.

The Glorious Patriarch Joseph, whom The Almighty Father enriched with singular Graces, and abundantly filled with Heavenly Gifts, so that he might serve as the reputed Father of His only-begotten Son, and the true Spouse of The Queen of Angels and Mistress of The World, fulfilled the duties and offices of this high calling so perfectly that he merited to receive the praise and rewards of a Good and Faithful Servant.

For, every mindful of the pre-eminent dignity and holiness of the noble Offices entrusted to him by The Divine Wisdom, he never ceased to obey the Counsels and Will of God in all matters with inexpressible joy; and, by pleasing God, was made beloved, until, being Crowned with Glory and Honour in Heaven, he received a new Office, namely, that by his many merits, and the support of his Prayers, he might come to the aid of man’s most wretched condition, and, by his most powerful intercession, obtain for the World what the efforts of man cannot. 

For this reason, he is Venerated as a Merciful Advocate and a Powerful Patron, and The Feast of his Patronage is kept in a great many places with a Proper Mass and Office on The Third Sunday occurring after the joys of Easter. [Editor: Note. This was subsequently changed to The Third Wednesday after Easter Sunday.]


However, one thing was still left to be desired, namely, that the Office of The Patronage of Saint Joseph should be extended to the whole Church. This did the Very Eminent and Rev. Cardinal Costantino Patrizi earnestly beseech from The Holy Father Blessed Pope Pius IX, with most humble supplication offered in his own name and that of the Cardinals of Holy Roman Church, and of a very great number of the Faithful from home and abroad. 

The Holy Father, receiving these supplications, so conformable to his own Devotion to Saint Joseph, with Apostolic kindness . . . gave his formal consent to the Petition, and ordered that henceforth, the Mass of The Patronage of Saint Joseph should be Celebrated by the Clergy of Rome and of the whole Church on The Third Sunday After Easter.

When the custom of fixing Feasts to particular Sundays was abolished as part of The Breviary Reform of Pope Saint Pius X, The Feast of The Patronage of Saint Joseph was Anticipated to the previous Wednesday, the day of the week Traditionally Dedicated to Patron Saints. 

It was removed from The General Calendar in 1955 and replaced by The Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker; the new Feast itself was then downgraded from the highest of three Grades (First-Class) in The 1962 Missal to the lowest of four Grades (Optional Memorial) in 1970. [Editor: Nothing more need be said about these "improvements".]
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