The Philippines has been consecrated to St. Joseph, the patron of workers, fathers, families, and the universal Church.
Catholic prelates, led by Archbishop Romulo Valles,"have placed the nation under the special patronage of St. Joseph on May 1, his feast day”, CBCP News said. Valles is the current president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The National Consecration to Saint Joseph was livestreamed from the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City. It started with a rosary led Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Midyphil Billones from the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City, according to CPCP News.
"In addition to the thousands who viewed the live streaming, many cathedrals allowed for limited in-person attendance consistent with physical distancing and face mask requirements. Masses were then held in different churches across the country to celebrate the feast of Jesus’ earthly dad,” it said.
It noted that in preparation for the actual consecration, a 33-day spiritual preparation was launched in the country’s 86 dioceses.
Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma, who presided a Mass at the National Shrine of St. Joseph, urged the faithful to seek St. Joseph’s intercession to help the nation “in difficult times”.
"Our time last year, this year are difficult times that is why we find meaning in coming to St. Joseph in believing that just as he was called by God to be the guardian of the Holy Family, we plead for his intercession to journey with us and assist us in our time, in difficult times,” he said.
“Today we come to St. Joseph in this act of consecration. It is our way of saying, ’St. Joseph just as God has appointed you to care for the Holy Family’, today we are telling him, 'Make us as well your family’. 'Make us your family' just as even the Holy Family experienced difficult times. We know jesus was born there in the manger that was not easy. We know that they were to flee to Egypt when the life of Jesus was endangered that was not easy,” Palma, former CBCP president, said.
The national consecration is one of the highlights of the Philippine Church’s celebration of the current “Year of St. Joseph”.
One of the activities for the celebration is the consecration of the families on Dec. 8, 2021 as the concluding event of the Year of St. Joseph.
Pope Francis has declared the special year in honor of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX.
Pope Francis had declared a year dedicated to St. Joseph in December 2020 to promote more devotion to the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.