Not as much as we’d like. Joseph never speaks in Scripture. Mark never mentions Joseph. John refers to Jesus twice as the son of Joseph, and that’s it. Our information about St. Joseph comes primarily fromMatthew and Luke, the only two Gospels that tell the story of the Incarnation and aftermath. But once Jesus is found in the Temple by His parents, Joseph disappears. We don’t know how old he was when he died a “happy death,” only that it occurred before our Lord’s Passion, as Mary is alone at the foot of the Cross. And he has no tomb. Several “relics” purported to be Joseph’s are venerated in Italy, including his wedding ring (Perugia), staff (Camaldoli), and cloak (Rome). For centuries, artists depicted Joseph as a wizened old man, even though the Church has never made a definitive By Dr. Joan M. Kelly Devotion to St. Joseph is as old as the Catholic Church and has never been stronger, thanks in part to the recently-concluded year-long celebration of the foster father of Jesus. But howmuch do we know for certain about the husband of the VirginMary, patron of the Universal Church? 18 Marian Helper • Spring 2022 • marian.org “The Death of St. Joseph,” fresco in St. Joseph Church in Shelton, Connecticut. On the Paschal Path Go to Joseph!
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