“The Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.”-Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens.

There are two big feast days that honor St. Joseph, foster father to Jesus: The traditional Feast of St. Joseph on March 19 and the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1. What is the point of the second feast day?

Troubled by the rise of Communism and its dubious claims, Pope Pius XII established the Feast of St. Joseph the worker. He chose May 1 as the feast day because the Communists had instituted “May Day” celebrations of the worker. Pope Pius XII emphasized that the Church had long observed the dignity of human labor and defended the rights of workers (this is one of the 7 core principles in Catholic social teaching).

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Prayer Card for You!

My youngest loves praying litanies! I created this Litany of St. Joseph prayer card for my family to use on May 1 in honor of St. Joseph, so I thought I would share it with you.

This litany can be prayed at at any time, but this week seems a great time to incorporate it into your family faith rituals. Enjoy!

God bless you!

Resources and Activities

Good St. Joseph by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik. A classic.

St. Joseph Shrine (Look to Him and Be Radiant)

St. Joseph wood craft (Catholic Inspired)