Our Brother Martin school community began our academic school day with our daily morning prayer for St. Joseph’s Day.
Today, March 19th, is the feast day of St. Joseph, the patron saint of the Universal Church. In keeping with an old tradition brought by Italian immigrants from Sicily to New Orleans, Brother Martin is hosting its annual St. Joseph’s Day Altar in the Branton Chapel all day today for the general public and for our students, faculty, and staff.
This celebration of St. Joseph’s Feast Day provides 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 to relieve 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. Moreover, the Altar is laden with symbols. First, the Altar is in the shape of a cross, and there are three tiers to the Altar which represent the Trinity and the three members of the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Sunday morning, the altar was blessed by Reverend Lance J. Campo, Associate Director of Pastoral Formation at Notre Dame Seminary. Our Brother Martin family and friends gathered and prayed for the memorialized photos of the deceased on the altar.
The St. Joseph Altar is open today, Monday, March 19th, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Since St. Joseph is honored as the patron of the dying, many of our deceased faculty, staff, and family members are honored at the Altar. Also this evening from 2:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. here on campus in the Tom and Gayle Benson Mall, there will be a Spaghetti Dinner which will be available with a dine-in or take-out option. Tickets for the meals are $8 for adults and $5 for kids. The proceeds of this dinner will go to the Brothers’ missions in Africa and Arizona.
Let us call to mind that we are in God’s presence.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Father,
St. Joseph was appointed as the patron of your Catholic Church because he was the head of the Holy Family, the starting-point of the Church. St. Joseph was the father, protector, guide and supporter of the Holy Family.
We pray that St. Joseph will be our guide throughout Lent as we deepen our relationship with you, Lord.
We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Amertur Cor Jesu, Loved be the Heart of Jesus.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Brother Martin's St. Joseph's Day Altar
