apparitions of st joseph

 Re: Apparitions of St. Joseph

Fr: Fr. Donald H. Calloway, MIC (2020). Consecration to St. Joseph: The wonders of our Spiritual Father. Stockbridge, NA: Marian Press, pp. 191-199. (supplemented by en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Marian_apparitions)

 

1.    1660 June 07 in Cotignac, (southern) France to a Gaspar Ricard (shepherd): “I am Joseph, Lift this rock and you shall drink.” The miraculous spring has become a source of healing and a place of pilgrimage. As a result, King Louis XIV consecrated France to St. Joseph on March 19, 1661. The locals built a shrine that was ruined during the French Revolution but restored in 1978 and is now operated by Benedictine nuns (pp. 192-193).

 

2.    1879 August 21 in Knock, Ireland. “The Virgin Mary appeared to 15 people…. popularly known as the apparition of Our Lady of Knock, but St. Joseph and St. John the Apostle were also present. No words or messages were given by Our Lady or the other heavenly visitors. The apparition occurred in the pouring rain and lasted for many hours. According to the sworn testimony of those who witnessed the apparitions, St. Joseph wore white, was barefoot, and had his hands folded in prayer with his head slightly bent toward Mary as if honoring her great dignity as the Mother of God. It’s a mysterious and intriguing apparition, but one that is fully approved by the Church” (p. 195).

 3.    1917 October 13 in Fatima, Portugal to Lucia, Francisco, & Jacinta. “… during the last of the six Marian apparitions given to the three visionaries, St. Joseph made an appearance as well. Similar to Knock, the skies were pouring rain… when St. Joseph made his appearance… It was shortly before the Miracle of the Sun took place (witnessed by more than 70,000 people) that St. Joseph appeared, holding the Christ Child, and together they blessed the world. All three visionaries of Fatima testified that St. Joseph and the Christ Child simultaneously blessed the world” (p. 195).

 

4.    1931-1938 in Vilnius, Poland to St. Faustina Kowalska. “In the Divine Mercy apparitions… St. Joseph frequently appeared… and reassured her of his protection over her important mission of making God’s mercy known and trusted. Similar to St. Therese, Faustina, too, prayed to St. Joseph every day and wrote about her experiences in her Diary” (p. 194).

 

5.    1956-1959 in Ohio, USA to Sr. Mildred Mary Neuzil (aka Sr. Mary Ephrem, died in 2000). “These apparitions are known as the apparitions of ‘Our Lady of America’ [approved by the Church only for private, not public devotion]…. St. Joseph instructed (her) that God wants St. Joseph to be honored on the First Wednesday of every month, especially by the recitation of the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary and the reception of Holy Communion” (p. 196). From the Blessed Mother on March 11, 1958: “My holy spouse has an important part to play in bringing peace to the world” (p. 196). From St. Joseph on March 18, 1958: “… I bring to souls the PURITY of my life and the OBEDIENCE that crowned it. All FATHERHOOD is blessed in me whom the Eternal Father chose as his representative on earth…. My SPRIRITUAL FATHERHOOD extends to all God’s children, and together with my Virgin Spouse I watch over them with great love and solicitude. Fathers must come to me… to learn obedience to authority: to the Church always, as the mouthpiece of God, to the laws of the country in which they live, insofar as these do not go against God and their neighbor. Mine was perfect obedience to the Divine Will, as it was shown and make known to me by the Jewish law and religion…. Let fathers also imitate my great PURITY of life and the deep RESPECT I held for my Immaculate Spouse…. Never willfully doing anything that would cause scandal among God’s people. Fatherhood is from God, and it must take once again its rightful place among men (p. 197)…. So the HEAD OF THE FAMILY must be loved, obeyed, and respected and in return be a true father and protector to those under his care” (p. 198).

 

6.    1968 April 2 (after about 10 months after the 6-Day War between Israel & the Arab coalition of Jordan, Syria, & Egypt) till 2-3 years in Zeitoun in Cairo, Egypt to thousands of inhabitants, including Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Government Officials. “In 1968, there were a series of apparitions of Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph in Zeitoun, a suburb of Cairo, Egypt. The town of Zeitoun is believed to have been one of the places the Holy Family visited during their sojourn in Egypt centuries earlier…. As at Knock, there were no words spoken and no messages given. The apparitions took place above and around a Coptic church, and were approved by the local Coptic ecclesiastical authorities” (p. 196).