Pope Francis has proclaimed a year dedicated to St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church. It is a special time of grace for our relationship with the foster father of Jesus from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021.
from St. Joseph church Warsaw-Koło. Photo by Fallaner, 2019
A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions) to Christians who, with a spirit detached from any sin, participate in the Year of St. Joseph on these occasions and manners indicated by the Apostolic Penitentiary:
- To those who meditate of the Our Father prayer for at least 30 minutes or take part in a spiritual retreat of at least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph
- To those who perform a corporal or spiritual work of mercy
- To families or engaged couples who recite the rosary together
- To those who entrust their daily work to St. Joseph and those who ask St. Joseph to intercede for the unemployed
- To those who recite a prayer to St. Joseph (the litanies of St. Joseph in Latin rite, or Akathistos to St. Joseph in the Byzantine rite, or any other prayer to St. Joseph) for the relief of Christians persecuted both inside and outside of the Church
- To faithful who recite “any legitimately approved prayer or act of piety in honor of St. Joseph,” with an encouragement to do so on the March 19 and May 1 feasts of St. Joseph, the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Byzantine celebration of St. Joseph’s Sunday, and on the 19th of every month and on every Wednesday, which has been dedicated to St. Joseph in the Latin rite
- To the elderly, sick, dying and those legitimately unable to leave the house, who recite an act of piety to St. Joseph under his title of Comfort of the Sick and Patron of a happy death, provided they offer their discomfort to God and fulfill the conditions for the indulgence “as soon as possible”
Related Resources
- Pope Francis Proclaims the Year of St. Joseph: With a Father’s Heart
- Prayer to St. Joseph after the Rosary
- Redemptoris Custos Apostolic Exhortation of Pope St. John Paul II
- Novena to St. Joseph
- What Does the Year of St. Joseph Mean?