St Joseph

Ἰωσήφ

Quiet carpenter of Nazareth, husband of Mary and guardian of the Holy Family

Joseph of Nazareth, called Joseph the Betrothed in the Orthodox Church, was the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. The Gospels describe a carpenter of King David's line who, warned by an angel in a dream, took Mary into his home and guarded the family on the flight into Egypt. They record none of his words.

Devotees turn to him as patron of fathers, families, workers and carpenters, of exiles, immigrants and travellers, and for a happy death. Catholics honour him as patron of the universal Church, as declared by Pius IX in 1870. In Sicilian and Sicilian-American communities, families build St Joseph's Tables in thanks for answered prayers or to keep a vow. Orthodox Christians remember him on the Sunday after the Nativity.

Shop St Joseph See the gallery

La Tour - Saint Joseph charpentier, vers 1642 - 1644, RF 1948 27. Wikimedia Commons (public domain), Georges de La Tour

How to recognise St Joseph

Mature bearded manLook for a bearded working man, neither youth nor frail, whose face often takes the features of the artist's own people; Orthodox icons show him as an elder, and Baroque paintings often make him vigorous and middle-aged.
The Child JesusHe holds or carries the small, haloed Child, sometimes on his shoulders or with his head bent to touch the Child's, and his gaze is tender, showing his role as guardian and father.
Flowering lilyA staff or branch of white lilies is his commonest emblem, standing for purity and his chaste guardianship of Mary; a popular legend, traced to the apocryphal Gospel of James, says his staff blossomed, but this is devotional tradition, not Scripture.
Carpenter's toolsA square, saw, plane or chisel recalls his trade, since the Gospels call Jesus the carpenter's son (Greek tekton, craftsman), and they appear most in images of Joseph the Worker.
Two turtle dovesAn occasional attribute, they recall the poor family's offering at the Temple described in Luke 2:24.
Simple tunic and cloakHis plain working clothes, often with a cloak that suggests a mantle of protection over Mary and Jesus, show humility and shelter.
Golden haloA plain golden halo marks him as a saint, as in Baroque and devotional paintings, while his quiet, steady bearing keeps him in the background rather than in royal pomp.

Names and titles

Guardian of the RedeemerTitle given to Joseph by St John Paul II, for his care of Jesus
Patron of the Universal ChurchDeclared by Pius IX on 8 December 1870, because Joseph protected the Holy Family
Patron of WorkersHonours the carpenter of Nazareth; Pius XII instituted the feast of St Joseph the Worker in 1955
The Silent SaintNo word of his is recorded in the Gospels, yet he acts at every turn
Listening in a DreamAn angel spoke to him in dreams, and he obeyed (Matthew records four dreams)

Feast days

Solemnity of St Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary19 March, every year
St Joseph the Worker1 May, every year
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph27 December 2026
Sunday after the Nativity: Joseph the Betrothed, David the King and James the Brother of the Lord27 December 2026 (date to be confirmed)
Sunday after the Nativity: Joseph the Betrothed, David and James10 January 2027 (date to be confirmed)