St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus, is the patron of the universal Church, of fathers, of workers and of a happy death. The best-known prayer to him was written by Pope Leo XIII in 1889 and is still prayed after the Rosary, especially in October:
To thee, O blessed Joseph, we have recourse in our affliction and, after imploring the help of thy most holy spouse, we confidently invoke thy patronage also.
By that affection which united thee to the immaculate virgin Mother of God, and by the fatherly love with which thou didst embrace the infant Jesus, look down, we beseech thee, with gracious eyes on the precious inheritance which Jesus Christ purchased by His blood, and help us in our necessities by thy powerful intercession.
Protect, O most provident guardian of the Holy Family, the elect children of Jesus Christ;
ward off from us, O most loving father, every contagion of error and corrupting influence;
be propitious to us from heaven, O most powerful protector, in this our struggle with the powers of darkness;
and as thou didst once rescue the child Jesus from the greatest peril to His life, so now defend God’s holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity.
Finally, shield every one of us with thy patronage, that, imitating thy example and strengthened by thy help, we may live a holy life, die a happy death, and attain to everlasting happiness in heaven.
Amen.
Below are the Memorare to St. Joseph, a prayer for work and employment, prayers to St. Joseph for the dying, his feast days, and an honest answer about the chain prayer that claims it “never fails.”
The Memorare to St. Joseph
Modeled on the Memorare to the Blessed Virgin, this short prayer asks Joseph’s help with complete confidence:
Remember, O most pure spouse of the blessed Virgin Mary, my sweet protector, St. Joseph!
that no one ever had recourse to thy protection or implored thy aid without obtaining relief.
Confiding therefore in thy goodness, I come before thee, and humbly supplicate thee.
Oh, despise not my petitions, foster-father of the Redeemer, but graciously receive them.
Amen.
A prayer to St. Joseph for work
Pope St. Pius X approved this prayer in 1907 for “all those who are devoted to labor.” It is a good prayer for anyone looking for a job, starting a new one, or struggling at work, and it fits the feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1.
Glorious St. Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins;
to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my inclinations;
to work with gratitude and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop, by means of labor, the gifts received from God;
to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, without ever recoiling before weariness or difficulties;
to work, above all, with purity of intention, and with detachment from self, having always death before my eyes and the account which I must render of time lost, of talents wasted, of good omitted, of vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all for Mary, all after thy example, O patriarch Joseph.
Such shall be my watchword in life and in death.
Amen.
If you are searching for work, add your own request after “obtain for me the grace”: “to find honest work that provides for my family.”
Prayers to St. Joseph for the dying
Joseph is traditionally believed to have died in the arms of Jesus and Mary, so the Church entrusts the dying to him. The Catechism encourages us “to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death” (CCC 1014). Pope Leo XIII approved these three invocations in 1884:
Eternal Father, by Thy love for St. Joseph, whom Thou didst select from among all men to represent Thee upon earth, have mercy on us and on the dying.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
Eternal divine Son, by Thy love for St. Joseph, who was Thy faithful guardian upon earth, have mercy upon us and upon the dying.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
Eternal divine Spirit, by Thy love for St. Joseph, Who so carefully watched over Mary, Thy beloved spouse, have mercy on us and on the dying.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
For more, see our guide to the last rites.
A short daily prayer to St. Joseph
This prayer was written for this guide.
St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and husband of Mary,
you listened to God in silence and obeyed him without delay.
Watch over my family today.
Help me to work honestly, to love faithfully,
and to trust God when I do not understand his plan.
Pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Amen.
Who was St. Joseph?
The Gospels say little about Joseph, and he never speaks a word in them, but what they record is telling:
- He was “a just man” of the house of David (Matthew 1:19–20).
- He was betrothed to Mary, and when she was found to be with child he resolved to divorce her quietly until an angel told him in a dream to take her into his home (Matthew 1:18–24).
- He named the child Jesus, as the angel commanded, giving him his legal place in David’s line (Matthew 1:21, 25).
- He protected the Holy Family, fleeing with them to Egypt and later settling in Nazareth (Matthew 2:13–23).
- He was a carpenter (Matthew 13:55) and taught his trade to Jesus, who was called “the carpenter” (Mark 6:3).
- With Mary he searched for the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41–51). After that, the Gospels do not mention him again, and he is believed to have died before Jesus’ public ministry.
The Catechism notes that Jesus’ obedience to his mother and “legal father” fulfilled the fourth commandment and anticipated his obedience to the Father (CCC 532).
Feast days and devotions
| Day | Celebration |
|---|---|
| March 19 | Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| May 1 | Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker, established by Pius XII in 1955 |
| Wednesdays | Traditionally dedicated to St. Joseph |
| March | The month of St. Joseph |
| March 10–18 | The nine days of a novena before his feast |
In 1870 Blessed Pius IX declared St. Joseph Patron of the Universal Church. For the 150th anniversary, Pope Francis wrote the apostolic letter Patris Corde (December 8, 2020) and proclaimed a Year of St. Joseph. In 2021 he added seven new invocations to the Litany of St. Joseph, including “Patron of exiles” and “Support in difficulties.” St. Joseph’s name is mentioned in every Eucharistic Prayer at Mass: John XXIII added it to the Roman Canon in 1962, and it was added to the other Eucharistic Prayers in 2013.
Is there a “prayer to St. Joseph that never fails”?
You may have seen a prayer beginning “O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God,” passed around with claims that it was found in an ancient tomb, that it has never been known to fail, and that you must pray it for nine mornings or share it a set number of times.
The prayer itself is a sincere request for St. Joseph’s intercession, and you may pray it. But the promises attached to it are not Church teaching. The Catechism warns against attributing power to “the mere external performance of prayers” apart from the interior dispositions they demand, which is superstition (CCC 2111). St. Joseph’s intercession is powerful because he is close to Christ, not because of a formula. St. Teresa of Ávila, who loved him greatly, wrote in her autobiography that she could not remember ever asking him for anything that he failed to obtain for her. Her confidence came from friendship with the saint, not from a guarantee.
The same goes for the custom of burying a St. Joseph statue to sell a house. Asking St. Joseph’s help when you move is good; treating a statue as a charm is not.
Frequently asked questions
What is St. Joseph the patron saint of?
The universal Church, fathers, families, workers, carpenters, a happy death, travelers and immigrants, and many countries, including Canada, Mexico, Peru and Vietnam.
When is St. Joseph’s feast day?
March 19, with a second celebration, St. Joseph the Worker, on May 1. When March 19 falls on a Sunday of Lent or in Holy Week, the solemnity is moved.
Why do Catholics pray to St. Joseph?
Because God entrusted to him the care of Jesus and Mary, the Church trusts him to care for her too. Catholics ask his prayers as they would ask a father’s. See what is intercessory prayer for the Church’s teaching on asking the saints to pray for us.
Is there a St. Joseph prayer for a husband or a spouse?
Many Catholics pray to Joseph, the model husband, for their marriage or for the grace to find a good spouse. You can use the short daily prayer above and add your intention.
More prayers
- Seven Sundays of St. Joseph
- Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7)
- St. Joseph’s Day (March 19) traditions
- Catholic prayer for a job
- St. Joseph prayer to sell a house
- The St. Joseph novena (nine days)
- The Litany of St. Joseph
- The Memorare to the Blessed Virgin
- The St. Michael prayer
- The St. Jude prayer
- Last rites and prayers for the dying
- Catholic prayers: the basic prayers every Catholic should know
Texts and sources
- Prayer texts: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Devotions to St. Joseph, public domain; capitalization and punctuation lightly modernized.
- Leo XIII, Encyclical Quamquam Pluries (August 15, 1889), on devotion to St. Joseph.
- Francis, Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (December 8, 2020).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 532, 1014, 2111.
- Matthew 1–2, 13:55; Mark 6:3; Luke 2:41–51, Douay-Rheims Bible.
- St. Teresa of Ávila, The Life of St. Teresa, chapter 6.