The two feast days of St. Joseph have distinct origins. Both feasts honour diffe…
The saint’s feast days continue to reflect his role as Jesus’ earthly father, patron of the dying and the Universal Church, which is celebrated on March 19th. It also reflects his work as a carpenter and teacher of Jesus, celebrated on May 1st.
As early as the fourth century, St. Joseph was commemorated by Catholics who worshipped with the traditions of the Eastern Church. He was referred to as “nutritor Domini,” meaning “guardian of the Lord.” His March 19th feast day became universal in the Church in the 16th century.
Four centuries later, as May 1st was celebrated in communist countries as “International Worker’s Day,” Pope Pius XII honoured St. Joseph as a manual worker by establishing an optional memorial — to St. Joseph the Worker — in 1955, to acknowledge the value of human labour.