Feasts of St. Patrick and St. Joseph: Saints of Immigrants and Immigrant Saints.

This weekend we will celebrate two important saints in the life of the Church of New York: St. Patrick, our patron saint, and St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus.

These two feasts underscore the fact that the Church of New York is essentially a church of immigrants.

St. Patrick is one of the patron saints of Ireland, and when the Irish Catholics immigrated to the United States in the 19th century they brought with them their devotion to this great 5th century saint.  Patrick immigrated to Ireland from his home in Britain and is credited with bringing Christianity to that country.  When New York’s first cathedral was dedicated in 1815, old St. Patrick’s on Mott Street, the diocese was placed under the patronage of St. Patrick.  To this day St. Patrick’s day is a huge celebration for our city.  St. Patrick’s feast day is March 17th.  Below is the famous prayer called the “Breastplate of St. Patrick.”

The second feast we celebrate this time of year is the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19th.  Joseph barely needs an introduction.  He was immensely important in welcoming the Son of God into the world and protecting His mother Mary.  Joseph is remembered for his strength, obedience, faith and his simplicity.  Joseph is the silent saint.  In the gospels we never hear Joseph speak.  All we know about him is that he was a carpenter who was engaged to Mary.  When Mary was found to be pregnant he trusted the angel’s message and married her despite the fact that the child wasn’t his.  Joseph’s life wasn’t always easy.  He had to migrate to Egypt to protect his family, and then live in fear that enemies of Jesus might still seek the child’s life.  And yet Joseph lived a simple life:  he was a husband, a father, and a worker.  His life resembles the lives most of us live: quite, normal lives striving to do the will of God.  Maybe it is for this reason that he was named the patron saint of the universal Church.  In many catholic countries, St. Joseph’s day is also celebrated as “Father’s day.”  In New York, devotion to this great saint was brought from Europe by the mass waves of immigrants from Italy in the late 19th and early 20th century.

May St. Patrick and St. Joseph, whose devotions were carried to the new world in the hearts of immigrants fleeing from poverty and oppression pray for immigrants today who come to our shores seeking refuge and opportunity.  And may these great saints, who were immigrants themselves, pray for us that those of us who are established here may welcome with open hearts the newly arrived immigrants in our midst.

Here is the famous Breastplate of St. Patrick, a prayer attributed to the Saint who lived in the 5th century.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.