Pope Francis has dedicated this year of 2021 to St. Joseph. The pope wrote an apostolic letter, Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart), in which he draws attention to the holiness and relevance of St. Joseph:

"Our lives are woven together and sustained by ordinary people, people often overlooked… yet in these very days are surely shaping the decisive events of our history… Each of us can discover in Joseph — the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence — an intercessor, a support and guide in times of trouble. Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation”

St. Joseph’s ordinariness and simplicity is saintly. He always points to how God works in souls preoccupied only with the simplest and most fulfilling task: to accomplish God’s will. Consecration to Jesus through St. Joseph brings us into a special union with God by which we receive special graces. We consecrate ourselves to Jesus with St. Joseph to dedicate our souls for a special sacred use, service to, and worship of God. By making this formal act of entrustment to the Holy Spirit through St. Joseph, we dedicate our souls even more deeply to the virtues St. Joseph emanates, such as: love, responsibility, compassion, chastity, loyalty, obedience, trust, prudence, and fidelity. Our act of consecration is an intentional entrustment that manifests our desire to become more like St. Joseph in service to Jesus. Each day of our preparation, through our dedicated reading, reflection, and prayer, we will be praying with our spiritual friend, St. Joseph, to Jesus, because the Holy Spirit has spiritual surprises and growth for those who strive to walk with the communion of saints. Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger is inviting everyone to ascend to even greater heights in the spiritual life by joining him in a Consecration to Jesus through St. Joseph.  

Read Bishop Scharfenberger's Invitation Letter (available in Spanish)

For the faithful who are preparing for the Consecration to St. Joseph, Bishop Ed has chosen Fr. Donald H. Calloway's book Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father. The daily reading takes only 3-5 minutes and then is pondered during the rest of one’s day. If you start the readings late or fall behind, don't worry, just catch up when you can. The preparation can be done alone or in a group. You can also join the Facebook Event.

Please take note of the following important dates:

• Wednesday, September 29, 2021: Start date of preparation using the book, Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father.
• Monday, November 1, 2021: Join Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger at 5:15 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for Mass and the Consecration to St. Joseph.

       Parishes- Click here to download flyer 

Virtual Prayer Group – Consecration to St. Joseph 

Join fellow ministers, co-workers, and friends, for this virtual prayer group as we journey through the Consecration of St. Joseph. We will meet for forty-five minutes on the following Thursdays at 7:00 PM: September 30^th, Oct 14^th, and October 28^th. Once registered, a Zoom link and a prayer plan will be made available. All participants should obtain a copy of the Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father by Father Donald H. Calloway, MIC. The prayer group will be led by Brian Evers, Director, Pyramid Life Center. To register contact Brian via email: plc@rcda.org. 

Special Discount

Purchase the book using this link, Consecration to St. Joseph,  and use code DOA21 at checkout to receive a Diocese of Albany special discount! This code will reduce the purchase price of the book from $14.95 to only $5.00!

Please contact Renee Morgiewicz, renee.morgiewicz@rcda.org, with questions or for additional resources for your parish or personal use.