St. Joseph Triduum

My Dear Parishioners,

In two and a half weeks we will celebrate our St. Joseph Triduum (The Feast of St. Joseph is on March 19^th).  Recently, Pope Francis declared that on the occasion of the 150^th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church he has designated this liturgical year as one dedicated to St. Joseph.  The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is encouraged to spend this year growing closer to St. Joseph by honoring him, imitating his virtues and asking for his intercession.  May this be a year of great grace for all of us as we more deeply entrust ourselves to the care of our spiritual father.  All are invited to our St. Joseph Triduum, which is 3 days of Mass and prayers associated with our patron.  This weekend our second collection was for the St. Joseph Triduum envelopes.  You are asked to write your special prayer intentions on these envelopes and they will be kept before Our Lord and St. Joseph in prayer.  In addition we will pray the prayers to St. Joseph after Mass.  Hopefully you can join us for one or all of the days of the Triduum which runs Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – March 17, 18, and 19.  Mass is at 8:00 a.m. and the prayers to St. Joseph follow immediately.  In case you cannot be with us, I am including one of the prayers that is recommended to be prayed throughout the year.  Please feel free to cut it out of this bulletin so that you may keep it for future use.

May God Bless You,
Fr. Bordonaro

To you, O blessed Joseph

(Ad te, beate Ioseph)

To you, O blessed Joseph, do we come in our afflictions, and having implored the help of your most holy Spouse, we confidently invoke your patronage also.

Through that charity which bound you to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God and through the paternal love with which you embraced the Child Jesus, we humbly beg you graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ has purchased by his Blood, and with your power and strength to aid us in our necessities.

O most watchful guardian of the Holy Family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be kind to us and from heaven assist us in our struggle with the power of darkness.

As once you rescued the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity; shield, too, each one of us by your constant protection, so that, supported by your example and your aid, we may be able to live piously, to die in holiness, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.   Amen.

This prayer was composed by Pope Leo XIII in his 1889 encyclical, Quamquam pluries. It is especially recommended to be prayed at the end of the Rosary