Saint Joseph’s Day: Perspectives in the Alameda Community
Written by Austin Ly ’27 and Salvador Nava-Leyva ‘27
Austin’s Article
On March 19th, students, faculty, and staff of Saint Joseph Elementary School and Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School came together to celebrate the solemnity, which is the highest rank of a feast day, of Saint Joseph through a sacred Mass. Because the schools and shared Basilica are named after him, Saint Joseph holds special importance to the community and beliefs.
Saint Joseph is the husband of the Virgin Mary and the father of Jesus. However, his significance doesn’t end there; he is known especially for having full faith in God. According to the Bible, while Joseph and Mary were engaged, Mary received a message from the angel Gabriel, explaining that she had been chosen by God to hold and conceive the Son of God. Immediately, Mary informed Joseph of this news. Even if they were at times flooded with confusion about what truly would happen, they ultimately persevered.
As time passed, Joseph continued to pay attention to the messages sent to him by other angels. Throughout Jesus’ childhood, Joseph and Mary did everything in their power to protect, nurture, and care for him as well. No matter what obstacles or challenges they faced, despite adopting him, they always viewed Jesus as a child of their own.
Interviewing Fr. Mario Rizzo, parochial administrator of Saint Joseph Basilica, gave me a deeper understanding of Saint Joseph’s Day. “I would tell people that this day is about a simple man of faith,” he mentioned. “He doesn’t say one word in the Gospels, but because his faith was simple, it was also clear, and strong. Thus, this holiday is about celebrating this man’s courageous faith, especially considering that he had the choice to choose a different plan apart from God’s, but he didn’t. He remained faithful to God, which reminds us that our faith, if it is simple and clear, can accomplish great things.”
Examples of faith are shown by Saint Joseph’s actions throughout the Bible. For instance, “The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him.’ Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod, that what the Lord had said through the prophet might be fulfilled, ‘Out of Egypt I called my son,’” (Matthew 2:13–15 New American Bible Revised Edition). In this passage, Joseph’s immediate care showed his wholehearted trust in what God guided him to do.
Additionally, Ms. Catherine Holcombe, campus minister and theology teacher at SJND, says many people commemorate Saint Joseph’s Day because of the numerous roles he had. “It’s a day to celebrate the foster father of Jesus, a good disciple, and a carpenter. Many individuals can relate to him; whether Saint Joseph was a worker or adopted Jesus, he wasn’t born or conceived in any special way. He is like an ordinary human,” she added.
During Saint Joseph’s Day, traditions can differ from place to place. In New Orleans, Louisiana, it is seen on WWL-TV News that families are seen decorating alters with pictures of people who passed, fresh produce, sweets, breads, and much more. Being able to take part in this heritage, countless Sicilian individuals, who began this tradition, that immigrated can spend their time embracing and informing others about their culture.
Fr. Mario further explains this custom: “In addition to the usual celebration of Mass, some churches will do Saint Joseph’s Table, which is when members of the community set a table full of food. It is to commemorate a time in Italy when, during a famine, Joseph answered the people’s prayers by providing food for them.” Moreover, “Other traditions include reciting the Litany of Saint Joseph. Here at our parish, the entire community prays a novena, which is a prayer for nine days before the feast day.”
To each person, there are a wide variety of ideas toward Saint Joseph’s Day and Saint Joseph based on their own interpretations. Ash Duarte, a freshman at SJND, believes he is “a great example of who we should strive to be. He’s a hard worker and very inspirational to me because of his dedication to his craft,” she stated.
On the other hand, Fr. Mario expressed similar opinions: “To me, Saint Joseph’s Day, like the feast day of any saint, is about honoring this man who gave his life to God. Saint Joseph is unique because he was so close to Christ, and if it weren’t for Joseph and Mary, the world would not know Jesus. Therefore, in honoring Joseph, I am committing myself to follow his way of life, of loving the Lord and my neighbor fully, and of making it possible for people to know Jesus.”
Ms. Holcombe said that Saint Joseph’s Day “is a day to rest, rejuvenate, and just to enjoy life as he is the patron of our school [Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School].” She continues, “He is also one of my favorite saints because he is a relatable, humble, solid, and overall good person.”
All in all, Saint Joseph’s Day highlights Saint Joseph’s commitment to his faith and family. Although this holiday is only one particular day, we can reflect on our actions and celebrate Saint Joseph’s beliefs, which he presents through his experiences, to find power and motivation in our daily lives.
Salvador’s Article: Saint Joseph Notre Dame: Who Are We Named After?
Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School is a Catholic High School located in Alameda. They have a church which is named Saint Joseph Basilica. Why is both the Basilica and the school named Saint Joseph? Well, Saint Joseph is the patron Saint of Fathers because of his deed to help raise Jesus along with Mary. Joseph and Mary both devoted their lives to raising Jesus. When God asked Joseph to be the caretaker of Jesus, Joseph gave up his whole world, his plans, his friends, his home, and his work.
Father Mario is the current priest at the Saint Joseph Basilica and he says, “Joseph was a member of the tribe of Judah, of the House of David, which was important, because it was from that tribe that the kings of Israel came. Thus, Joseph, although he was not Jesus’ biological father, played a very important role in God’s plan, as he adopted Jesus, and became his step-father.” This isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do, but instead Joseph gave up his life in the name of God.
Another thing to add about Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School is that it was two separate schools. Notre Dame High School was first and was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1881. “The word ‘Notre Dame’ is French for, “Our Lady,” which is Mary, “ said Father Mario. Then later on the elementary school and then the Saint Joseph High School. The elementary school was co-ed but the high schools were not. Notre Dame was for girls and Saint Joseph was for boys. The girls’ school took place in what is now known as “The Quad” and the boys’ school was in the building named after the Marinist, who was the group that created the boy’s school. The two schools eventually joined together and that’s why we put the two names together, Saint Joseph and Notre Dame, making Saint Joseph Notre Dame!
Saint Joseph is a great role model and personally I think that is why we are named Saint Joseph Notre Dame high school. Saint Joseph devoted his life to God. So, we can strive to be like Joseph and give God the first place in our lives. Father Mario also stated, “He opened himself to God, and in listening to God, Joseph heard what he needed to do. We all go through difficult moments in life, confusing moments, and challenging moments. Joseph teaches us that God is faithful and that if we give ourselves to God, God will provide for us. For us, daily prayer is essential, even if it is only for a few moments. Ask God what His plan is for your life and ask Him to give you the strength to carry it out, as He did for Joseph.”
Joseph was also a very kind person and we can also strive to love our neighbor selflessly. When Saint Joseph was raising Jesus, he taught Jesus the value of hard work. We must devote our lives to God just as Joseph did and show that hard work can improve us even further as God knows what the path he set for us is.
Works Cited
Guzman, Sam. “St. Joseph: The Model of Manhood.” The Catholic Gentleman, 19 March 2022, https://catholicgentleman.com/2022/03/st-joseph-the-model-of-manhood/. Accessed 3 April 2024.
Holliday, Diane. “The Year of St. Joseph.” Saint Joseph’s University, https://www.sju.edu/magazine/summer-2021/features/year-st-joseph.Accessed 5 April 2024.
“Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School, Rankings & Reviews.” Homes.com, https://www.homes.com/school/alameda-ca/saint-joseph-notre-dame-high-school/jpf1w6g6tqv1q/. Accessed 5 April 2024.
“St. Joseph Notre Dame High School.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph_Notre_Dame_High_School.Accessed 3 April 2024.
