The Litany of St. Joseph is one of six litanies approved by the Holy See for public liturgical use in the Latin Rite. Composed gradually through the 17th and 18th centuries as devotion to St. Joseph deepened across the Catholic world, the litany received its formal Magisterial approval from Pope St. Pius X on March 18, 1909 — the eve of the Feast of St. Joseph — for the Spouse of Mary, foster father of Jesus, and Patron of the Universal Church. The litany's structure follows the pattern of other approved Catholic litanies: a Kyrie opening, a Trinitarian invocation, and then a long sequence of invocations addressing St. Joseph under distinct titles, each with the response 'Pray for us.' The titles trace the arc of his vocation: 'Illustrious son of David,' 'Light of patriarchs,' 'Spouse of the Mother of God,' 'Chaste guardian of the Virgin,' 'Foster father of the Son of God,' 'Diligent protector of Christ,' 'Head of the Holy Family,' 'Joseph most just,' 'Joseph most chaste,' 'Joseph most prudent,' 'Mirror of patience,' 'Lover of poverty,' 'Model of workers,' 'Glory of family life,' 'Guardian of virgins,' 'Pillar of families,' 'Solace of the afflicted,' 'Hope of the sick,' 'Patron of the dying,' 'Terror of demons,' 'Protector of Holy Church.' In May 2021, in connection with the Year of St. Joseph (December 2020 - December 2021) and his apostolic letter Patris Corde, Pope Francis formally added seven new invocations to the litany, drawn directly from the language of Patris Corde: 'Guardian of the Redeemer,' 'Servant of Christ,' 'Minister of salvation,' 'Support in difficulties,' 'Patron of exiles,' 'Patron of the afflicted,' and 'Patron of the poor.' These additions reflect Francis's specific pastoral framing of St. Joseph as a model for fathers, workers, and the marginalized in the contemporary world.
Guido Reni (c. 1635)
8 min
Duration
1 day
Commitment
Beginner-Friendly
Level
St. Joseph
Patron Saint
How to Pray
The litany is prayed responsively. A leader voices each invocation ('Joseph most just…') and the gathered company responds 'Pray for us' to each. The opening Kyrie pattern and the Trinitarian invocation use 'Have mercy on us' as the response; the body of the litany — the long sequence of titles — uses 'Pray for us.' The litany closes with three invocations of the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), a versicle-response pair drawn from Genesis ('He made him master of his house, And steward of all his possessions'), and a collect prayer to St. Joseph. Total duration is approximately ten minutes when prayed at unhurried devotional pace. The Litany of St. Joseph is traditionally prayed: during the month of March, the Month of St. Joseph; in the days leading up to the Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19) or the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker (May 1); at the end of a Holy Hour or Eucharistic adoration; in family contexts asking St. Joseph's protection over the household. The 2021 additions can be incorporated into any traditional printed text by inserting the seven new invocations in their proper places in the litany's sequence (most published current versions list them); the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Holy See's website both publish the updated full text. Many Catholic families pray the litany together on Wednesday evenings (the traditional day dedicated to St. Joseph in the older Catholic devotional calendar). When prayed alone, simply read both the invocation and the response aloud or silently.
Coordinate sustained prayer for someone you love. Volunteers fill 30-minute slots covering days or weeks; the family receives a spiritual bouquet at the end.
