Saint Joseph Catholic Church

news

Today is the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop and Doctor of the Church. St. Francis' ardent love of God and souls, his great kindliness, rare wisdom and sure teaching made him exceptionally influential in bringing about conversions and in guiding souls in the spiritual life. He won back to the faith more than 70,000 heretics, thus restoring to the Church a great part of the Chablais, which had been ravaged by Protestantism. He was St. Jane de Chantal's spiritual director, and with her founded the Order of the Visitation. He is the author of Treatise on the Love of God and Introduction to the Devout Life. St. Francis died at Lyons in 1622.

In the United States the Optional Memorial of St. Vincent of Saragossa (d. 304) is transferred from January 22 in the Universal Calendar to January 23. He was one of the greatest deacons of the Church. He was born in Huesca, Spain, suffered martyrdom in Valencia in the persecution under Diocletian.

January 22 is also the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and the day established by the Church of penance for abortion, has been formally named as the "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children." On this day (or January 23rd when January 22nd falls on a Sunday) your parish, school or religious formation program may celebrate the "Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life." This Mass, found in our newly-translated Missal, may now be used on occasions to celebrate the dignity of human life.

The Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Agnes (c. 304). St. Agnes, like St. Cecilia, is to be numbered among the most famous martyrs of Rome. When the Diocletian persecution was at its height, and when priests as well as laymen were apostatizing from the faith, Agnes, a girl of twelve, freely chose to die for Christ. When she was commanded to offer incense to false gods, she raised her hand to Christ and made the Sign of the Cross. When the heathens threatened to bind her hand and foot, she herself hastened to the place of torture as a bride to her wedding feast. Pain had no terror for her--although the fetters slipped from her small hands while even the pagan bystanders were moved to tears.

St. Fabian and St. Sebastian have always been paired together, with their names coupled in the ancient martyrologies, and still paired in the Litany of Saints. The Church today celebrates separate Optional Memorials for Sts. Fabian and Sebastian:

The Roman Martyrology commemorates Sts. Marius (Maris), Martha, Audifax, and Abachum (d. 270), a group of Persian martyrs of the third century who died for the faith in Rome.

Today is Day One of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25. The theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2026 is taken from Ephesians 4:4, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling."

The Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (251-356) from the 3rd century. St. Anthony, the Father of the monastics, retired to the desert at about the age of eighteen in order to live in perfect solitude. Many heard about his ascetic life and came to join him in his hermitage, He laid the foundations of community life, and gave to his disciples that profound broad and sane instruction, the mature result of solitude and prayer, which forms the surest basis of Christian asceticism.