Prayers to Saint Joseph: main ones and their history

# Prayer to Saint Joseph

The most important prayer in the Catholic tradition dedicated to Saint Joseph is **”To You, Saint Joseph”** (in Latin, *Ad te, beate Ioseph*), prescribed by Pope Leo XIII and published as an appendix to his encyclical *Quamquam pluries* on August 15, 1889. Those seeking a “powerful prayer” to Saint Joseph find it in the prayer **”Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,”** concluding Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter *Patris corde* (2020), and in the litanies approved by the Holy See, containing the most authorized supplications that the Church has ever addressed to the husband of the Virgin Mary.

From the outset, it is important to note: the power of a prayer does not lie in secret formulas or automatic promises of effectiveness, but in the faith of the one praying and in the authority of the Church that proposes it. This article presents the text and history of each of these prayers.

The foundation of all Josephine prayers rests on his unique mission. As explained by *Josefology* (as found on locusmariologicus.org), Joseph is both the true husband of Mary and the true legal father of Jesus, and it is from this dual relationship that his power of intercession arises. Leo XIII articulated this principle precisely in a passage later cited by John Paul II a century later in his Apostolic Exhortation *Redemptoris custos*:

> **”The reasons why the Blessed Joseph should be considered a special Patron of the Church, and the Church, in turn, should expect much from his protection and patronage, primarily stem from the fact that he is the husband of Mary and the legal father of Jesus (…) Joseph was, at his time, the legitimate and natural guardian, head, and defender of the divine Family (…) It is fitting and most honorable for the Blessed Joseph, therefore, to continue, in a manner similar to how he once holy protected the Family of Nazareth, to cover and defend the Church of Christ with his celestial patronage”** (Leo XIII, *Quamquam pluries*, cited in *Redemptoris custos*, no. 28).

## The Prayer **”To You, Saint Joseph”** by Leo XIII (1889)

In 1870, with the decree *Quemadmodum Deus*, Pius IX had declared Joseph “Patron of the Catholic Church” (cf. *Redemptoris custos*, no. 28). The history behind this declaration is recounted in our article on Saint Joseph as Patron of the Church. Nineteen years later, Leo XIII gave voice to Joseph’s patronal care through prayer. In his encyclical *Quamquam pluries*, published during Rosary Month, the Pope deemed it of great benefit for the Christian people to continually invoke, along with the Virgin Mother of God, her chaste husband (cf. no. 2, Spanish version of the document). He then established a concrete practice: throughout the month of October, after reciting the Rosary, believers were to add a prayer to Saint Joseph, whose formula was attached to the encyclical and repeated annually, enriched with indulgences (cf. no. 6).

This attached formula is Ad te, beate Ioseph, known in Brazil as “To you, Saint Joseph” – the prayer that generations of Catholics have learned to recite at the end of October’s Rosary. John Paul II cited the heart of the supplication when celebrating the centenary of the encyclical:

“Drive away from us, most loving father, this plague of errors and vices…, assist us from on high in this struggle against the power of darkness…; and as you once saved the life of the threatened Child Jesus from death, so today defend the holy Church of God from the wiles of the enemy and all adversities” (Redemptoris custos, n. 31, quoting the prayer of Leo XIII).

The structure of the prayer is entirely typological: it asks Joseph to do for the Church what he did for the Holy Family. Just as the carpenter of Nazareth saved the Child from death, so he now guard the Body of Christ from errors, vices, and the power of darkness. John Paul II explicitly wished this custom not to be lost: “I earnestly desire that this invocation of St. Joseph renew in us the rhythm of prayer which, a century ago, my Predecessor established should be raised to him” (Redemptoris custos, n. 32).

«Salve, guardián del Redentor»: The Prayer of Patris corde

On December 8, 2020, on the 150th anniversary of Pius IX’s declaration, Francis published the apostolic letter Patris corde, «With a Father’s Heart». The document observes that “After Mary, the Mother of God, no Saint occupies so much space in pontifical teaching as Joseph, her husband”, and presents the saint, the man who goes unnoticed, from his everyday discreet and hidden presence, as «an intercessor, a support, and a guide in times of difficulty» within reach of all (Patris corde, preface). We analyze the entire document in our article on Patris corde.

The letter concludes with a new prayer:

“Salve, guardián del Redentor y esposo de la Virgen María! A vos, Dios os confió a su Hijo; en vos, María depositó su confianza; con vos, Cristo se hizo hombre.
Oh bienaventurado José, sed también padre para nosotros y guiadnos por el camino de la vida. Obtenednos gracia, misericordia y valor, y defendednos de todo mal. Amen” (Patris corde, concluding prayer).

Note the realism of the request that precedes the prayer: “We have only to implore Saint Joseph for the grace of graces: our conversion” (Patris corde, conclusion). The Josefine prayer does not first seek to obtain things, it seeks to convert the one who prays.

The Prayer Francis Recites Daily

In note 10 of the same letter, Francis opens a window into his personal devotion: for over forty years, every day after Lauds, he recites a prayer to Saint Joseph “taken from a French book of devotions from the 19th century, by the Congregation of Religious of Jesus and Mary”, which, according to him, “expresses devotion, trust, and a certain challenge to St. Joseph”. Here is the full text:

**Quote:**
«Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph, whose power can make the impossible possible, come to my aid in these moments of anguish and difficulty. Take under your protection the so grave and difficult situations which I commit to you, so that they may find a happy solution. My beloved Father, all my trust is placed in You. Let it not be said that I have invoked You in vain, and since You can do all things with Jesus and Mary, show me that Your goodness is as great as Your power. Amen» (from *Patris corde*, note 10).

**Josephine Litany, Rosary, and Other Devotions:**

The *Litany of Saint Joseph* was approved by the Apostolic See in 1909 and updated in 2021 when the Congregation for Divine Worship, with approval from Pope Francis, added seven invocations drawn from pontifical teachings: *Custos Redemptoris* (Guardian of the Redeemer), *Serve Christi* (Servant of Christ), *Minister salutis* (Minister of Salvation), *Fulcimen in difficultatibus* (Pillar in Difficulties), and *Patrone exsulum, afflictorum, pauperum* (Patron of the Exiled, Afflicted, and Poor), the last three taken from *Patris corde*, no. 5 (see Congregation for Divine Worship letter to Presidents of Episcopal Conferences, May 1, 2021).

**The Saint Joseph Rosary:**
The *Saint Joseph Rosary* is a popular devotion without a single fixed form approved by the Church. In the most widespread versions, meditators reflect on episodes from Jesus’ life through counting beads: the Angel’s announcement (Mt 1:20-24), Jesus’ birth (Lk 2:1-7), the Flight into Egypt and return (Mt 2:13-23), hidden life in Nazareth, and the encounter of the Child in the Temple (Lk 2:41-52). In essence, it is a form of biblical meditation: the Gospels say little about Joseph, but each scene recorded offers rich material for contemplation.

**Josephine Memorare and Cord of Saint Joseph:**
Other devotions include the *Josephine Memorare*, an adaptation to Saint Joseph of the traditional Marian prayer *”Memorare”*, in which the devotee declares never to have heard that anyone who sought his protection in vain. Also popular is the *Cord of Saint Joseph*, a practice of popular origin traditionally associated with seeking purity. As these texts and practices do not have a single official form, their versions vary from one devotional book to another. At a more rigorous level, there is also the *Dedication to Saint Joseph*, a surrender to him for guidance towards Jesus, similar to the Marian consecration. And tradition invokes Saint Joseph as the patron of a good death: the Catechism exhorts believers “to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, patron of a good death” (CIC 1014).

**How to Choose and Pray:**
Three criteria help guide devotion: first, prefer prayers approved and proposed by the Church—the ones mentioned above have all been endorsed or approved by the Holy See, ensuring secure doctrine and avoiding superstition; second, consistency is more important than intensity: Leo XIII asked for the *Josephine Prayer* to be prayed every October, and Pope Francis has recited it daily for over forty years; third, unite prayer with imitation. Joseph left no recorded words in the Gospels, but his actions speak volumes.

The Gospels speak exclusively of what Joseph “did”; however, they allow us to listen in on his “actions”, shrouded in silence, as a climate of profound contemplation (Redemptoris custos, n. 25).

# Rezar a São José

Rezar a São José significa pedir a graça de orar como ele: em silêncio operoso, com obediência pronta. O objetivo final não é São José em si, mas sim Cristo, através dele. Assim como toda intercessão dos santos é cristocêntrica, a oração josefina visa tornar São José “um mestre singular no serviço da missão salvífica de Cristo” (Redemptoris custos, n. 32).

Quem reza “A vós, São José” em outubro, quem recita o “Salve, guardião do Redentor” ou quem apresenta as “coisas impossíveis” da vida na oração diária, na verdade, faz o mesmo movimento: vai a Jesus pelas mãos de seu guardião terrestre.

## Perguntas Frequentes

### Qual é a oração mais forte a São José?

A tradição católica não reconhece fórmulas mágicas; a força de uma oração provém da fé do orante e da aprovação da Igreja. Nesse contexto, as orações mais recomendadas são “A vós, São José” (Ad te, beate Ioseph), prescrita pelo Papa Leão XIII em 1889, e “Salve, guardião do Redentor”, utilizada pelo Papa Francisco no final de Patris corde (2020). Ambas solicitam a proteção de José sobre a Igreja e cada fiel.

### Quem escreveu a oração “A vós, São José”?

Leão XIII prescreveu e publicou esta oração em anexo à encíclica Quamquam pluries, de 15 de agosto de 1889. Ele determinou que fosse adicionada ao Rosário durante todo o mês de outubro, uma prática que se repete anualmente. João Paulo II reiterou explicitamente esse pedido na exortação Redemptoris custos (1989).

### Qual oração o Papa Francisco reza todos os dias a São José?

No Patris corde, Francisco compartilha que, há mais de quarenta anos, reza diariamente após as Laudes a oração: “Glorioso Patriarca São José, cujo poder consegue tornar possíveis as coisas impossíveis…”. Esta oração, extraída de um livro francês de devoções do século XIX, expressa “devoção, confiança e um certo desafio” a São José, segundo o Papa.

### O que é o terço de São José?

O Terço de São José é uma devoção popular sem uma forma única estabelecida pela Igreja. Envolve a meditação com contas sobre os episódios da vida de São José, como o anúncio do anjo, o nascimento de Jesus, a fuga para o Egito, a vida oculta em Nazaré e o reencontro no Templo. Serve como um exercício de meditação bíblica sobre a missão de José.

### São José é padroeiro da boa morte?

Sim. O Catecismo da Igreja Católica incentiva os fiéis a confiarem “a S. José, padroeiro da boa morte” (CIC 1014). A base desta devoção é a contemplação do trânsito de São José, que a piedade cristã sempre imaginou amparado por Jesus e Maria.