Did you hear the news? December 8, 2020, began the Year of St. Joseph! 

This means that from now until December 8, 2021, there are special opportunities to help us grow in our faith with the help of St. Joseph!

And did you know that during this year, there are several new ways to gain a plenary Indulgence which are available very frequently (for example: every Wednesday!).

We’ve put together a list of 10 Questions & Answers about St. Joseph, indulgences, and more!

Plus–we also have a FREE printout for your family to use as a “cheat sheet” for posting on the fridge as an easy reminder!

1. Why did the Pope choose St. Joseph for 2021?

On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis released an Apostolic Letter titled “Patris Corde,” or “With a Father’s Heart.” You can read the Pope’s letter here (it’s not a long read)!

In his letter, Pope Francis highlights how St. Joseph is a model for masculinity, courage, and humility. He points out how St. Joseph was a tender and loving father, one who was obedient to God in all things. He surrendered himself to God’s will, even as he feared his own weaknesses. His trust and acceptance of God’s plan for salvation makes him a model for fathers, mothers, and children everywhere!

Joseph protected Mary and Jesus through all of their trials (including when they had to flee to Egypt), worked hard to provide for his family, and sacrificed everything to be a good father for Jesus. He did all of this quietly and patiently, without seeking attention or praise:

“Each of us can discover in Joseph – the man who goes unnoticed, a daily, discreet and hidden presence – an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble. Saint Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation.” 

Pope Francis, Patris Corde

What an inspiring message to take into 2021 and beyond!

2. What is an indulgence?

In order to encourage devotion to St. Joseph, Pope Francis has outlined special ways to earn plenary indulgences this year! This is very exciting, as we now have even more ways to participate in God’s grace!

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines an indulgence as follows:

“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfaction of Christ and the saints.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1471

What does that mean?

First–it means that we are dealing with forgiven sins. That is, sins that God has already forgiven (for mortal sins, through Confession, and a variety of ways for venial sins).

Remember: when we sin, there is a need to have God forgive those sins (to remit the eternal punishment for them) and there is also a need to remit the temporal punishment–that is, the effects of the sin need to be cleaned up, too.

Indulgences deal with the “temporal effects” of sins.

An analogy might help…

Father Mike Schmitz likens it to someone tearing a muscle. Obviously, you need a surgeon to fix the tear. However, can you go back to playing sports like normal after surgery? Of course not! You will need to go to physical therapy. There, you will practice exercises that strengthen the muscle again. Those exercises help heal the consequences of the muscle tear. 

In the same way, indulgences are “exercises” that help mend the damage brought by sin. They give us ongoing intentional turning to God’s grace to strengthen us where we’re weak. 

3. What’s a plenary indulgence?

There are two kinds of indulgences: partial indulgences and plenary indulgences. Partial indulgences are just as they sound; only part of the consequences due to sin are removed. 

For a plenary indulgence, all the temporal punishment due to sin is removed! Plenary indulgences are a big deal, which makes the Year of St. Joseph all the more exciting!

4. How do I gain an indulgence?

You must fulfill certain “conditions” and then perform a particular act which the Church has specified as having the indulgence attached (called the “Indulgenced act”). Often these acts must be accomplished on a specified date (such as on Feast Day) or within a specified timeframe (such as a novena) or at a certain location (such as a pilgrimage).

Here are the three conditions you must fulfill for every indulgence:

1. Go to Confession within 20 days before or after the “indulgenced act”
2. Receive Holy Communion
3. Pray for the Pope’s intentions (any prayer, but an Our Father and a Hail Mary are suggested)

One Confession can apply to several plenary indulgences, but a separate Communion and prayer for the Pope must apply to each indulgence.

To gain the indulgence, you must also be baptized, not excommunicated, and in a state of grace (you have not committed any grave sins that you have not confessed).

THEN: to gain a “plenary indulgence” you must have a spirit which is detached from any sin–even venial sin. To the extent that you are not detached even from venial sin, you gain not a plenary indulgence, but a partial indulgence.

5. What “indulgenced acts” are there during the Year of St Joseph?

There are a lot of “indulgenced acts” to choose from during this Year of Saint Joseph. We’ve included some links that might help!

• Meditate for at least 30 minutes on the Lord’s Prayer, OR Participate in a Spiritual Retreat of at least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph 

We say the Our Father so often that it’s easy to lose sight of its beauty. Parents can meditate on the meaning of fatherhood, and how St. Joseph modeled God the Father’s love throughout his life. Kids can learn how to pray the Lord’s Prayer (and many other prayers) using this best-selling CD!

• Perform a spiritual or corporal work of mercy 

Following St. Joseph’s example, choose to selflessly serve someone in your family or community. Do your kids need a brush-up on what the spiritual and corporal works of mercy are? Teaching them is easy when you use our Works of Mercy Set!

• Recite the Holy Rosary with your family, spouse, or the person to whom you’re engaged

The Rosary is a powerful prayer, and has helped unite families for centuries! To introduce very young children to the Rosary, thousands of families love My Little Catholic’s First Rosary: Bead by Bead Set; for your elementary-aged kids, the Holy Heroes Mysteries of the Rosary Set will keep them engaged throughout the prayer!

• Entrust your daily activity to the protection of St. Joseph and also pray for the intercession of Saint Joseph that those looking for work can find it and that all everyone’s work is more dignified.

In this time when so many are struggling to find dignifying work and make ends meet, let us pray for those who are unemployed or seeking a job. Perhaps your kids can write the names of those looking for work in their Holy Heroes Spiritual Journal; every morning, they can ask St. Joseph for his protection as they do their schoolwork, and mention by name the people who need their prayers.

• Recite the Litany to St. Joseph (for the Latin tradition) or the Akathistos to St. Joseph at least in part (for the Byzantine tradition) for the persecuted Church and for the relief of all Christians suffering any form of persecution. 

Christian persecution can be a tough topic to bring up with children. Listening to the lives of the saints can help start conversations about martyrdom, suffering, and more. St. Peter, St. Jose Sanchez del Rio, St. Miguel de la Mora, Blessed Miguel Pro, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and Pope St. John Paul II all lived through times of persecution, and their holiness will inspire your children to boldly proclaim the faith.

• Recite any Church-approved prayer or act of piety in honor of St. Joseph, for example “To you, O Blessed Joseph,” especially on every Wednesday (a day dedicated to Saint Joseph in the Latin tradition), the 19th of every month, on March 19 and May 1, and the Sunday of Saint Joseph (Byzantine tradition).

As a busy mom, it can be difficult to keep track of all these feast days, especially during Lent and Easter season craziness. Use our Lent and Easter Season Calendar to keep track of St. Joseph’s special days, days of fasting and abstinence, and more! 

6. I know someone who can’t leave the house right now… can they earn the plenary indulgence, too?

YES!

Due to the ongoing health crisis, Pope Francis has extended the possibility of gaining the plenary indulgence to the elderly, the sick, the dying and all those who for legitimate reasons cannot leave their home. 

If they firmly intend to turn away from sin, and plan on fulfilling the three conditions (Confession, Communion, and praying for the Pope) as soon as they can, they too can earn the indulgence! 

The Pope asks that they unite their sufferings with Christ and invoke St. Joseph’s intercession.

7. How many plenary indulgences can I get?

One per day. If your family goes to daily Mass, consider adding prayers for the Holy Father and prayer to St. Joseph to your end-of-Mass meditations… it’s an easy way to gain an indulgence for that day!

8. Can I gain indulgences for others?

You can gain a plenary indulgence for your own sake… OR on behalf of the souls in purgatory. but you can NOT gain an indulgence for someone else still living on earth. 

9. What’s a good prayer to St. Joseph I should know?

Pope Francis includes a beautiful one at the end of Patris Corde! We have copied it below:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To you God entrusted his only Son;

in you Mary placed her trust;

with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,

show yourself a father

and guide us in the path of life.

Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,

and defend us from every evil. Amen.

For more beautiful prayers to share with your family, check out this list! 

10. How will I remember all of this?!

Click here to find more resources about St. Joseph, including his Glory Story!