Joseph was her man

Details

Created on Monday, 19 March 2012 12:57

Joseph was her man—Saint Joseph, that is. Her devotion to him was so great that she chose him as patron of our Congregation and carried a tiny image of him in her pocket at all times. A giant statue of Saint Joseph sits atop the steeple of our motherhouse in France, over fifty yards high.

With great confidence Saint Jeanne Jugan turned to Joseph, head and provider of the Holy Family, to provide for the elderly poor who were seeking refuge in her home in ever-increasing numbers. She saw him as a father, in the likeness of our heavenly Father, whose Providence watches over the Little ones. St. Joseph was, and still is, the mediator of God’s loving Providence in our lives. But he us more than that. Our Constitutions tell us that Joseph offers us the example of his greatness: that of having made of his life a service rendered to Christ through love, a sacrifice to the mystery of the Incarnation and to the redemptive mission linked to it. Saint Jeanne Jugan was drawn by the just, humble and silent soul of Joseph and so are we. Like her we take him as our model of union with God in faith.

Aside from the major feasts in the liturgical year commemorating the life of Jesus and his mother, Saint Joseph’s Day is one of the most important days of the year for us. You will be a part of the celebration through our grateful prayers.

Photos:

The tiny statuette of Saint Joseph that Saint Jeanne Jugan always carried with her and the statue of our patron from the top of the motherhouse steeple as it was being repaired in 2007. The statue is over 13 feet high and weighs more than a ton!