Aside from the Blessed Mother, it would be challenging to find a saint who has inspired more prayers than St. Joseph. He is known as the patron of a happy death, workers and families. He is frequently asked for help with housing and in desperate situations. From the 30 Days Prayer for special requests, the Litany to St. Joseph and the Memorare to Pope Francis’ modern prayer to St. Joseph that he included in his 2020 apostolic letter “Patris Corde,” there is a prayer to the saint for nearly every occasion. Find one that speaks to you: St. Joseph devotions, Prayer to St. Joseph, and Prayer to St. Joseph after the Rosary.
This tradition started in Sicily in the Middle Ages, when residents pleaded to their patron saint for relief from a drought that caused a famine. After the rains came, the residents built an altar overflowing with food to thank the saint and then distributed the items to those in need. St. Joseph Altars are traditionally built in three tiers to honor the Trinity, with a statue or picture of the saint on the top tier. Flowers, fruit, cookies, candles and medals decorate all three levels, and visitors often leave prayer petitions. Sicilian immigrants brought the tradition to New Orleans, where it continues to this day with more than 40 churches listed on the Archdiocese’s website as destinations for altars this year.