Friends and family of Brother Martin High School gathered together on Sunday, March 19 at the annual St. Joseph’s Day Altar to celebrate the feast day of St. Joseph who is widely known as the patron Saint of the Universal Church, of fathers and husbands, of workers and as a patronage of the sick and of a happy death. Before the opening of the altar to the public, Bro. Louis Couvillon, S.C. held Mass and then blessed the St. Joseph Altar which was on display in the narthex of the James B. Branton Chapel. This celebration provided an opportunity for Catholics to express gratitude for good fortune in their lives. The St. Joseph Altar is a Sicilian tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. According to legend, Sicily was experiencing a severe drought, so citizens prayed to St. Joseph who relieved them of this famine. To show their gratitude, the citizens prepared a table with a special assortment of foods they had harvested. Today, the St. Joseph Altar is covered with a great assortment of “lucky beans,” Easter eggs, breads, cakes, cookies, photos of the deceased, and statues of Saints in thanksgiving for good fortunes. Moreover, the altar is laden with symbols. First, the altar is in the shape of the cross, and there are tree tiers to the altar which represent the Trinity and the three members of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. The colors of gold and white symbolize the purity of St. Joseph and the grace of life and of a happy death. Other items on display were a pitcher of water symbolizing Jesus’ miracle at Cana, a rosary for Mary, 12 loaves of bread for the 12 apostles, and palms to represent Palm Sunday. In addition, Mrs. Christine Dureau and Mrs. Elvira Iovenetti provided a brief history of the altar to the Brother Martin faculty, students, and guests.
Brother Martin’s altar is sponsored by Campus Ministry under the leadership of Campus Minister Tom Baier, Brother Louis Couvillon, S.C., Brother Carl Bouchereau, S.C. and Mrs. Cissy Yakelis. Thank you to all of our volunteers who assisted in the preparation of the altar, guests and sponsors!
Donations made from the altar were donated to the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Missions in the U.S. and around the world. In addition, the food from the altar was donated to the Rebuild Center at St. Joseph’s Church.
