Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today is the Feast Day of St. Joseph (March 19). I have always imagined him to be a sort of John Wayne: quiet, strong, and devoted. He is a significant role model for a family, but like all dads, he is often taken for granted – that is, until the family needs protection. 
 
I have remarked to those who choose the name Joseph for their confirmation that, when I reflect on St. Joseph, I think that God who has the entire world to choose the one who will be entrusted with the protection of Mary and the child Jesus, chooses this man Joseph. God, who knows the very being of us all, chooses this man – what a man of great integrity he must have been! 
 
St. Joseph died before Jesus started His public ministry. A good friend of mine, Fr. Patrick Boyle, S.J., pondered the question of why Jesus wouldn’t have raised his dear foster father from the dead. After all, he had the power over life and death. With spiritual speculation, Fr. Boyle said that in his mind, Jesus was not going to deny His beloved foster father the reward of His Heavenly Father, who he served with such faithfulness, knowing that he had fulfilled the mission God entrusted to him.
 
When we were children in grammar school, we would be instructed to pray to St. Joseph for a “happy death,” since he was the patron of a happy death. As children, there did not seem to be anything happy about death. However, as we grew, it became evident that the prayer to St. Joseph for a happy death was a prayer that meant that we would be in the state of grace when we died, and therefore gain immediate access to heaven.  
 
I was privileged to be the Bishop of La Crosse. The Cathedral of the Diocese of La Crosse is dedicated to St. Joseph the Workman. Its architectural design highlights the beauty of the early anticipation of Vatican II and, like its namesake, it projects a strong and majestic style. This feast day of St Joseph the Workman is celebrated May 1 and was instituted to challenge the growing socialist movement in the world that rejected the priority of God in our lives. 
 
A few years ago, with a pastor’s heart, Pope Francis instituted a year dedicated to St. Joseph on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8, 2020. Since this saint is the universal patron of the Church, he was entrusted with the care of Mother Church’s children. This would be during the time of the COVID pandemic, and we needed a strong father. This was the prayer Pope Francis offered to us:                 
 
Hail Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son; 
in you Mary placed her trust; 
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.
 
St. Joseph, help us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki

Archbishop of Milwaukee          

Note: This blog originally appeared as the March 19, 2024, "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.