What is the role of Saint Joseph in Catholic theology and devotion?
Saint Joseph, the chaste spouse of Mary and foster father of Jesus, holds the highest place of honor among the saints after Our Lady (a veneration known as 'Protodulia'). Declared Patron of the Universal Church by Pope Blessed Pius IX, Joseph is the silent guardian of the Holy Family, model of fathers and workers, and Terror of Demons. He is especially invoked as the Patron of a Happy Death because he passed away in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 437
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 532
- Matthew 1:19-24
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.