St. Joseph the Worker

Dear Parishioners of St. Joseph the Worker:

According to the calendar, it is now 2023!!  Happy New Year!!  This past year sure flew by, didn’t it?  The old adage that time goes quicker as you age is really true.  Enjoy the next 365 days. 

As we begin this new calendar year, we are given a week in our liturgical calendar filled with wonderful saints.  Let us explore several of them……………

January 2^nd---Saints Basil & Gregory Nazianzen

St. Basil died on Jan. 1, 379 and was a bishop in Caesarea.  He wrote a rule on monasticism and is the source of Eucharistic Prayer IV.  He is one of the 4 great doctors of the Eastern Church.

St. Gregory Nazianzen died on Jan. 25, 389.  He was the Patriarch of Constantinople and famous for his Scriptural knowledge, and is one of those 4 great doctors.

Jan. 4^th---St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton died in 1821.  She founded the Sisters of Charity, the first congregation for religious women in America.  They devoted themselves to teaching in Catholic schools and the education of poor students.  She is the first American-born citizen canonized (1975). 

Jan. 5^th---St. John Neumann

St. John Neumann died in 1860.  He was a missionary from Bohemia, and he became the bishop of Philadelphia.  He promoted Catholic schools.  He was the first bishop in America to become a saint.

Saints, like the ones above, are holy people for us to imitate in our daily lives.  Let us be challenged to keep their faith and spirit alive in our Church and world.  All of us are called to holiness, each in our own way.  May 2023 be a year of growth in our relationship with the Lord and in communion with all the saints.

Your Pastor,

Father Joe