Happy St. Joseph’s Day! In honor of St. Joseph, we will be having a St. Joseph’s Table after both Masses on Sunday, March 20. Please stop by the parish center! Donations of meatless dishes and sweets will be gratefully accepted and can be dropped off before or after Mass.
Origins of the Tradition
Legends from the Middle Ages attributed the end of a devastating drought to a prayer-devotion that the Sicilian people made to St. Joseph.
During a time of drought and famine, no rain fell on Medieval Sicily. Food crops for both people and livestock withered and died. The people prayed to St. Joseph for help.
When the clouds opened, the desperately needed rain poured down, and there was much rejoicing! After the harvest, to show their gratitude, they prepared a table with special foods to honor St. Joseph and to share with the poor. After thanking and honoring the saint, they distributed the food to the less fortunate.
This celebration became an annual tradition. Each year, wealthy families prepared huge buffets. The less fortunate people of the community, especially the homeless and sick, were invited, and all the remaining food and proceeds were given to the poor.
Through the years, the tradition has remained throughout Italy, and is also prevalent in Poland, Malta, Spain, the Philipines, and, with the influx of Sicilian immigrants to the US, here in our own country.
From Year of St. Joseph