The Catholic Church in the Philippines will entrust families to St. Joseph on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, reported CBCP News.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said that consecrating the families to St. Joseph “is an act of entrustment to his fatherly care, protection, and guidance”.
“The goal of this consecration is to imitate St. Joseph’s virtue, example, and closeness with Christ,” the CBCP said in a circular issued Nov. 8.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who by that time will be the CBCP president, will lead the praying of the rosary and the act of consecration at the San Roque Cathedral in Caloocan City.
All bishops of the country are expected to join the event online with the clergy, religious, and families from their homes.
In a circular issued Nov. 8, the episcopal conference also suggested that a Eucharistic celebration be done after the national consecration.
The celebration will be live-streamed through the Facebook pages of CBCP News, Radio Veritas, TV Maria, and other Catholic social media platforms.
Diocesan or parish consecration could also be made especially for those that could not follow the national consecration.
The day will also be the closing of the “Year of St. Joseph”, which began on Dec. 8, 2019, in honor of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church.
On May 1 this year, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, the bishops also consecrated the nation under the patronage of Jesus’ foster father.
Led by Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the bishops’ conference, the national act of consecration was live-streamed from the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City.
The consecration began with a rosary led by Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Midyphil Billones from the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City.
Masses were then held in different churches across the country to celebrate the feast of Jesus’ earthly dad.
Prior to the consecration, a 33-day spiritual preparation was set up in the country’s 86 dioceses.
In Cebu, Archbishop Jose Palma said that the consecration to St. Joseph is also asking him to help us love the virtues that strengthen families, churches and communities.
“We find meaning in coming to St. Joseph. In believing that just as he was called by God to be the guardian of the Holy Family, we plead for his intercession to journey with us, to assist us in difficult times,” Palma said.
“We come to St. Joseph in this Act of Consecration. It is our way of saying, ‘St. Joseph, just as God has appointed you to care for the Holy Family, make us as well your family,’” he said.
To foster more devotion to the spouse of the Blessed Virgin, Pope Francis had declared a year dedicated to St. Joseph in December 2020.
The consecration of the nation to St. Joseph is one of the initiatives launched on the occasion of the special year, which culminates on Dec. 8, 2021.
The celebration was also aimed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX.
