Feast Day of Saint Joseph, March 19th

On this Feast Day, we celebrate Saint Joseph as the spouse of Mary Mother of our Lord and the
foster father of Jesus. Consequently, Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the Universal Church,
fathers, and families. In light of his trade as carpenter, he is the patron of workers as well.
Here on campus, located in front of the science building, we honor Saint Joseph in the statue of
The Holy Family, venerating him under all of these monikers with their corresponding
intercessory graces. But more centrally located is the adoration chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph,
which resides in the heart of campus.

An early initiative of Dr. William Thierfelder, college president from 2004 to 2025, the chapel
was dedicated in 2008. Since then it “has nourished students’ faith and become a visible sign of
God’s steadfast care for the Abbey,” as stated in the feature article in the Summer 2025 issue of
Belmont Abbey Magazine.

Dedicating the adoration chapel to Saint Joseph speaks not only to him as patron of The
Universal Church, fathers, families, and workers. It strikes sublimely upon the reason for the
special place Saint Joseph holds in the monastic tradition: his silence. Scripture depicts him as a
reticent, righteous and humble man, listening to the angel, to divine instruction, and
contemplating the Divine Presence of his foster son. Monks and all Christians are called to do
the same. For in his book, Truly Seeking God, Abbot Bernard Bonowitz, O.C.S.O., writes,
“[T]he monastic way of being is very close to that of the common Christian, and its practices are
easily incorporated into the daily life of all those who seek God” (3).
We are reminded here of the first word in The Rule of Saint Benedict: Listen! That is, listen in
silence, in silent prayer and meditation, to hear God speak to us, as the angel and the Divine
Presence of Jesus spoke to Saint Joseph. In the Saint Joseph Adoration Chapel, with its marble
altar and tabernacle, and wide windows looking out to Edenic fauna sheltering the building,
students and visitors can come and quiet for a while the distractions and din of the world, to
listen to God’s intimate words in the Eucharist, as Saint Joseph did in his sacred and serene
silence.
So as we continue our Lenten journey, let us join our silence to the silence of Saint Joseph, to
help us draw closer to Christ in anticipation of our Easter exultation.

Saint Joseph, pray for us!