Saint Joseph Catholic Church

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The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975). St. Josemaría founded Opus Dei which opened a new path of holiness, helping the faithful in all walks of life to sanctify themselves in the midst of the world by performing ordinary work and daily duties with a Christian spirit. He died on June 26, 1975 and was canonized a saint on October 6, 2002.

The Roman Martyrology today commemorates Saint William of Monte Vergine (1085-1142), Abbot. William was born to Italian noble parents at the beginning of the twelfth century. He was orphaned while still an infant and was raised by relatives. He built a monastery on the summit of Monte Vergine near Naples, and established a community of hermits, to whom he gave a rule inspired in great measure by that of St. Benedict. He died in 1142.

The Universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. This feast, a segment of Advent in the season of Ordinary Time, makes us aware of the wonderful inner relationship between the sacred mysteries; for we are still in the midst of one Church year and already a bridge is being erected to the coming year of grace.

Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Observance of the solemnity begins with First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) in the Liturgy of the Hours on June 23, and a special Vigil Mass before or after First Vespers. The liturgical day is from midnight to midnight in the Church's observance, except for Sunday and solemnities which begin with the evening of the preceding day. There are many customs and traditions connected with the Vigil of the the Birth of St. John the Baptist, often referred to as "Midsummer's Eve."

The Church celebrates two Optional Memorials today:

From today's Gospel: Jesus said to the Twelve: "Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. (Matt 10:26-28).

The Roman Martyrology commemorates on this date St. John Matera (also known as John Pulsano) (1070-1139). St. John was a native of Matera, Italy and in his childhood longed to become a hermit. As a young man, he worked for a time as a shepherd in the service of a monastery. His exceptional austerity, however, was so irksome to the less fervent monks that he soon had to leave. Thereafter he journeyed from place to place as he strove to carry out God's will for him. At one point, acting upon a vision of Saint Peter he had experienced, John rebuilt a dilapidated church dedicated to the saint. Later, he traveled to Bari, where he preached with great efficacy. Certain individuals, motivated perhaps by jealousy, attacked the popular preacher with false charges of heresy, but he was in the end totally cleared of their accusations. Eventually John founded a Benedictine monastery at Pulsano and became its first abbot.