St. Joseph, Patriarch of the Holy Family, was presented as the Patron Saint for times of crisis.
Newsroom (14/10/2021 21:35,Gaudium Press ) Through a ceremony held at the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Kalisz, the President of the Polish Episcopal Conference (CEP), Bishop Stanislaw Gadecki, consecrated the country of Poland to St. Joseph.
Patron Saint in times of crisis
Partaking of the ceremony were the Apostolic Nuncio of the country, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio; the Primate Archbishop, Wojciech Polak; Bishop Damian Bryl of Kalisz; and the Custodian of the Shrine, Jacek Plota.
During his homily, Archbishop Stanislaw Gadecki stressed the importance of St. Joseph as “the Patron Saint in times of crisis. He was placed in difficult situations and he faced them”. He then recalled the many crises experienced in the world today, highlighting the need to have St. Joseph as our Patron.
St. Joseph, protector of marriage and the family
The Prelate also recalled that St. Joseph is the protector of marriage and the family, since, throughout his life, he has taught us that “love is not just a feeling or a brief moment, but a decision that lasts a lifetime. Only being a selfless gift for the other can give anyone a sense of fulfillment and happiness.”
“But Catholic marriage as a community of life and love is not only about feeling one’s own happiness, but also of sharing it with others. This is its missionary dimension, which means being ready to become an agent of God’s blessing and grace for all. In fact, all Christian spouses participate in the mission of the Church,” he added.
St. Joseph, protector of life and workers
The president of CEP also spoke of St. Joseph in his title of protector of life and of those who work and seek employment. In the first case, he lamented the growing resistance against the right to life in Poland and the world. Regarding the second title, for those who work and seek employment, he assured that “good work becomes goodness, mercy, responsibility, perfection, one of the main components of a religious attitude. Work becomes a response to every kind of human vocation, a response to God’s call.”
Finally, he recited the following prayer: “O good Joseph, so attentive to the voice of God and to the fulfillment of His will, help us to recognize the signs of the times and to engage in the transformation of our world. Protect our homeland, so that we may care for its development in a responsible way. Show us how to be faithful to our baptismal promises and how to be sensitive to the sufferings and needs of our sisters and brothers.” (EPC)
Compiled by Sandra Chisholm
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