Joseph
Also: St Joseph
A just man who took Mary as his wife and protected the child Jesus (Matthew 1–2).
- Knew Jesus personally
Awaiting theological review
Who was Joseph?
A descendant of David from Nazareth, betrothed to Mary. Matthew calls him a just man. Guided by God in dreams, he took Mary into his home, named the child Jesus, protected him from Herod, and raised him at Nazareth. The Gospels record no words of his.
The story
Betrothed to Mary; resolves to put her away quietly
Why does Matthew call Joseph a just man? →A dream: take Mary as your wife, call the child Jesus
Goes to Bethlehem for the census; Jesus is born
Presents Jesus in the Temple with Mary
Flees to Egypt by night to save the child
Returns and settles in Nazareth
Searches three days for the boy Jesus
Jesus is known as the carpenter's son
Dies before Jesus' public ministry
· Tradition holds
Why is St Joseph the patron of a good death? →
What we know — and how
Scripture tells us
- He was of the house of David; the angel addresses him as son of David.(Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:27)
- Matthew records four dreams through which God guided him, and each time he acted at once.(Matthew 1:20–24; Matthew 2:13–14; Matthew 2:19–21; Matthew 2:22)
- He was a carpenter, and Jesus was called the carpenter's son.(Matthew 13:55)
- Mary speaks of him to Jesus as thy father, and Jesus was subject to them at Nazareth.(Luke 2:48–51)
Tradition holds
- He died before Jesus' public ministry, in the presence of Jesus and Mary; he is invoked as patron of a happy death.Source: Christian tradition, inferred from his absence in the Gospels' account of the ministry and the Passion
- Pope Pius IX declared him Patron of the Universal Church (1870); Pope Francis devoted the apostolic letter Patris Corde to him (2020).Source: Papal documents
- Some early writings present him as an older widower with children; the Western tradition, following St Jerome, sees him as a virgin too.Source: Protoevangelium of James (apocryphal); St Jerome, Against Helvidius
Historians debate
- Tekton, translated carpenter, can mean a builder or craftsman working in wood or stone.
- How to relate the genealogies of Matthew and Luke, which name different fathers for Joseph (Jacob and Heli).
Unknown
- His age, the dates of his birth and death, and where he was buried.
Virtues
- Justice
- Prompt obedience
- Silence
- Courage in protecting
- Faithful work
Why Joseph matters
Joseph shows a holiness without speeches: listening to God, acting quickly, protecting the vulnerable and doing ordinary work faithfully. The Church entrusts itself to his care as he cared for Jesus and Mary.
Related people
- Mary, Mother of Jesus — Wife
- David — Ancestor; Joseph is son of David
Places
Nazareth · Bethlehem · Egypt · Jerusalem
Interactive map coming in a later phase.