Philippine Catholic bishops will consecrate the nation to the patronage of St. Joseph on May 1, his feast day.
The news site of the Catholic bishops’ conference reported that the country’s Church leaders have approved the national consecration and tasked the Commission on the Laity to organize the event.
To ensure that the celebration is understood, the Council of the Laity has laid out a 33-day “spiritual preparation” that will start on March 30.
Part of the preparation is the distribution of the book “Consecration to St. Joseph” by Marian priest Donald Calloway to dioceses and to those who will be joining the celebration.
The event is one of the highlights of the Philippine Church’s celebration of the “Year of St. Joseph,” which was declared by Pope Francis in honor of the 150th anniversary of the declaration of the saint as patron of the Universal Church.
In an online conference on February 13, Father Calloway the scheduled national consecration even in the midst of the pandemic.
“I know the Philippines is having a difficult right time now …. We can go to him for everything, for hope, for peace, for conversion to bring us closer to Jesus and Mary,” said the priest.
“And when you do it in the Philippines, the fruit is not only going in the Philippines because I know that Filipinos are going to spread this everywhere,” he said.
The priest said St. Joseph will help “increase” one’s virtue and holiness “because that’s what a good father does.”
“We are going to know the comfort of such a good father because that’s what he did for Jesus and Mary, and that is what he wants to do for us,” said Father Calloway.
“It is important to remember that we have the Virgin Mary as our spiritual mother, and we have St. Joseph as our spiritual father,” he added.
