On March 18, 2016 the Valle Catholic 2nd Graders in Ms. Meere’s class planned the Mass for the Feast of St. Joseph. Fathers, grandfathers, godfathers, stepfathers, uncles, or any special man in the lives of the students were invited to celebrate Mass together.
Father Gregory Klump was the main celebrant. The 2nd Graders filled all the liturgical roles including readers (Ella Schwartz, Mackenzie Buchheit, Alaric Drost, Easton Koetting, & Jacob Warren) and commentator (Drake Meyer).
Gifts were presented by Alyssa Calbreath and Nolan Prehm. Mr. Gene Operle provided the music.
After Communion there was a special blessing for our guests recited by Aubrey Joggerst and Madison Joggerst.
Everything we know about the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus comes from Scripture. We know Joseph was a carpenter, a working man, kind and compassionate, and a man of faith, obedient to whatever God asked of him without knowing the outcome. We know Joseph loved Jesus. His one concern was for the safety of this child entrusted to him. Joseph is the patron of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus’ public life, he died with Jesus and Mary close to him, the way we all would like to leave this earth.
Joseph is also patron of the universal Church, fathers, carpenters, and social justice. We celebrate two feast days for Joseph: March 19 for Joseph the Husband of Mary and May 1 for Joseph the Worker.
St. Joseph was the patron of the sisters who taught at Valle from the early days of the school’s existence (1838) until the late 1990’s.
