March 16, 2026 : Devotion to St. Joseph has grown across the centuries, encouraged by the personal devotion of many popes. From Pope Pius IX declaring him Patron of the Universal Church in 1870, to Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Quamquam Pluries, the Church has increasingly highlighted the quiet strength and fatherly protection of the foster father of Jesus.
Pope Francis also shared a deep love for St. Joseph, famously entrusting his worries to a statue of the Sleeping St. Joseph and even declaring the Church’s first Year of St. Joseph in 2020.
In this EWTN report, historians and clergy explain how papal teachings, liturgical reforms, and popular devotion have made St. Joseph one of the most beloved saints in the Catholic world today—and why his example of humility, courage, and faithful love continues to inspire believers.
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