St. Joseph
c. 20 BC - c. 1 AD
📅 Feast Day: Mar 19
📖 Life Timeline
c. 20 BC
Born in Bethlehem, of the house of David
c. 18 BC
Engaged to Mary, a descendant of King David
c. 5 BC
Learned of Mary's divine pregnancy; took her as his wife
c. 5 BC
Present at the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem
c. 4 BC
Flight into Egypt to escape Herod's massacre of innocents
c. 2 BC
Return from Egypt; settled in Nazareth, Galilee
c. 27 AD
Found 12-year-old Jesus teaching in the Temple
c. 1 AD
Died in Nazareth, peacefully, with Jesus and Mary at his side
✝ Biography
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ. A descendant of King David, a carpenter (tekton) of Nazareth in Galilee. All that is known of him comes from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Chosen by God as the guardian of the Holy Family, he received divine revelations through angels: first to take Mary as his wife (Matt 1:20), then to flee to Egypt with the child to escape Herod's massacre (Matt 2:13), and finally to return to Nazareth (Matt 2:20). The Gospels present him as a just man who obeyed God's commands faithfully and silently. He is the model of paternal care, obedient faith, and humble labor. Tradition holds he died before Jesus' public ministry, embraced by Mary and the dying Jesus—called the 'happy death.' Feast days: March 19 (solemnity), May 1 (Patron of the Universal Church), and the Sunday after Feb 2 (Spouse of Mary). Patron of the Universal Church (declared by Pius IX in 1870), carpenters, fathers, a happy death, and the dying.
🛡 Patronage
Patron of: The Universal Church, a happy death, fathers, families, workers, and carpenters.
💬 Words of the Saint
Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. -- Angel of the Lord
📜 Key Facts
Born
c. 20 BC, Nazareth
Died
c. 1 AD
Feast Day
Mar 19
Canonized
Pre-eminent from eternity
🕊 Legacy
Joseph's silent obedience makes him the model for all fathers and workers. Feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1) established by Pope Pius XII.
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