The Feast of Saint Joseph, also referred to as the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, commemorates the life of Joseph. He was the earthly father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. After Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem in Judaea, where the Holy Family received the Magi, an angel warned Joseph and Mary about the impending violence against the child by King Herod the Great of Judaea, whereupon they fled to Egypt. There the angel again appeared to Joseph, informing him of Herod’s death and instructing him to return to the Holy Land.
Saint Joseph is venerated differently in various countries. In Sicily, Italy, Saint Joseph is regarded by many as their patron saint. According to legend, Saint Joseph interceded to relieve a famine in Sicily during the Middle Ages. There was a severe drought at the time, and the people prayed for their patron saint to bring them rain. They promised that if God answered their prayers through Joseph’s intercession, they would prepare a large feast to honor him. The rain did come, and the people of Sicily prepared a large banquet for their patron saint.
In the Philippines, some families maintain the ritual of holding a banquet for the Holy Family. The Novena to Saint Joseph is also recited at a nearby temporary altar.
St. Joseph is the patron of the universal church in Roman Catholicism, and his life is recorded in the Gospels, particularly Matthew and Luke.
