St. Joseph of Nazareth,
descends from the line of David. He was a carpenter, Mary's husband and
Jesus' foster father. He appears in many episodes of Mary's and Jesus' lives:
Marriage of the Virgin, Adoration of the Magi, Flight into Egypt, Return
to Nazareth. Joseph was venerated in the east from the sixth century. His
cult was extended to the west thanks to St. Teresa of Aviva and the Jesuits.
He was made patron saint of Mexico in 1555 and of Canada in 1624. In 1870
Pope Pius IX proclaimed St. Joseph the Patron of the Universal Church. |
