Saint Joseph in Religiousness and Folk Tradition in Poland

Abstract

The veneration of the saints is, in its essence, worship of the One God and glorification of Him in the works He has done in His saints. It is also a way to express gratitude to God for allowing people to share in His holiness and bringing His chosen ones to the glory of heaven. One of the saints receiving special veneration in the Church is St. Joseph, the husband of Mary and the guardian of Jesus. The aim of this article is to present St Joseph on the basis of the Gospel narratives and to characterize the development of his cult in the Church, as well as in religiousness and popular tradition. While exploring the topic of the paper, the author drew upon theological and ethnological literature as well as his own ethnographic field research conducted in the Opoczno and Radom sub-regions (central Poland).

The cult of St Joseph can be seen not only in the Church liturgy, where his main feasts are celebrated on 19^th of March and 1^st of May, but also in folk religiosity. The veneration of St. Joseph is manifested in devotions in his honor, songs, prayers, numerous paintings with his image placed in houses and roadside shrines. St Joseph is often chosen as a patron of churches, towns, professions, and he is also considered the patron of the fathers and a guardian of a good death. His veneration is still vivid nowadays and many people obtain graces through his intercession.