Heart of Saint Joseph: proposal and current status
The Feast of the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph has not been instituted as a celebration in the General Roman Calendar. We present a proposal for a liturgical memorial and a possible date, distinguishing this request from celebrations already established.
What the petition proposes
The petition asks the Holy Father to institute a liturgical memorial of the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph. The proposed date is the first Wednesday after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The choice of Wednesday is connected with a Josephite devotional tradition recorded in documents of the Holy See. That tradition, however, does not by itself institute the specific celebration requested by CorJoseph.
Therefore, in the context of the campaign, the expression “Day of the Most Chaste Heart of Saint Joseph” designates the date sought by the petition, not a universal date already promulgated.
What already exists in the calendar
Saint Joseph is celebrated universally by the Church on 19 March, in the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and on 1 May, in the memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker. The Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary also have their own celebrations in the liturgical calendar.
Proposal, private devotion and universal calendar
A devotion can be lived by individuals, families, associations or communities and receive approval within a particular sphere. A universal celebration, on the other hand, depends on the competent authority of the Church and its official inclusion in the calendar.
The authorization of a novena as private piety in the Archdiocese of Natal is important evidence for the devotion, but it is not equivalent to creating a universal liturgical feast.
How to take part in the proposal
Those who wish to support the request can read the full petition, consult its sources and sign it knowingly. The intended outcome depends on the discernment and decision of the competent ecclesiastical authority.