Pious Devotion 7 Sundahys St Joseph

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THE PIOUS DEVOTION OF THE SEVEN SUNDAYS

IN HONOR OF THE SORROWS AND JOYS OF THE GLORIOUS PATRIARCH SAINT JOSEPH

Sunday, February 1, 2026, marks the beginning of the ancient and pious Devotion of the Seven Sundays in honor of Saint Joseph, a practice deeply rooted in the tradition of the Church and, in a particular way, within the Franciscan family.

In the year 2026, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph (March 19) will fall on a Thursday. Therefore, the seven preceding Sundays are as follows:

February 1 – First Sunday

February 8 – Second Sunday

February 15 – Third Sunday

February 22 – Fourth Sunday

March 1 – Fifth Sunday

March 8 – Sixth Sunday

March 15 – Seventh Sunday

This method of counting the seven Sundays is liturgically sound and traditional. It should be noted, however, that the Church does not impose a strict obligation regarding the starting date: the devotion may be practiced at any time of the year, and not exclusively in the weeks preceding March 19. Continue reading after advertisement

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ORIGIN AND NATURE OF THE DEVOTION

Among the many expressions of piety dedicated to Saint Joseph, the Devotion of the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of Saint Joseph stands out in a special way, both for its antiquity and for its wide diffusion, particularly within Franciscan circles.

The origins of this devotion are traditionally placed in the sixteenth century, within the spiritual context of the Franciscan Order, and are commonly attributed to Friar Giovanni (Juan) of Fano (1469–1539), a Franciscan religious associated with the reform movement that would later give rise to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.

Franciscan devotional sources relate that Friar Giovanni of Fano transmitted a pious tradition concerning a providential intervention of Saint Joseph on behalf of two friars who survived a shipwreck during a sea voyage. This account, hagiographical and edifying in nature, does not seek to present a historically verifiable chronicle, but rather reflects a spiritual narrative typical of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century devotional literature, intended to foster trust in the intercession of the saint.

THE SHIPWRECK TRADITION (NECESSARY CLARIFICATION)

According to this tradition, two Friars Minor, after surviving a shipwreck, entrusted themselves with great faith to Saint Joseph and were ultimately brought safely to land by divine providence. They later recognized in this deliverance the intercession of the glorious Patriarch.

It is important to emphasize that the Church does not require belief in this narrative in a literal sense, nor does she present it as a historically demonstrable event. Nevertheless, the Church has received and approved the devotion that arose from this tradition, acknowledging its spiritual and catechetical value.

According to these sources, the daily recitation of seven Our Fathers and seven Hail Marys, in remembrance of the seven sorrows and seven joys of Saint Joseph, was recommended as a pious practice directed toward growth in filial trust and in the imitation of the saint’s virtues.

ECCLESIAL APPROVAL AND DIFFUSION

The Devotion of the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of Saint Joseph was widely promoted within the Church and enriched with indulgences by several Pontiffs, among them Pope Pius VII, Pope Gregory XVI, and Pope Pius IX, all notable promoters of devotion to Saint Joseph.

Although the discipline of indulgences was reorganized following the Second Vatican Council, the legitimacy and spiritual value of this devotion remain fully intact, and it continues to be practiced fruitfully to this day.

Traditionally, this devotion may be observed:

over seven consecutive Sundays preceding the feast of Saint Joseph, or

at any other time of the year, according to personal devotion.

TRADITIONAL PRAYER

V/. O Saint Joseph, foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ and true spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us.

V/. Pray for us, Saint Joseph.

R/. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Prayer:

O God, who in your ineffable providence were pleased to choose blessed Joseph as the spouse of your most holy Mother, grant, we pray, that we may deserve to have him as our intercessor in heaven, whom we venerate on earth.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

DEVOTIONAL SOURCES

This tradition is recorded in several Franciscan devotional works, including:

Manual of Prayers – Devotional Book, Venerable Third Order of Saint Francis, Rev. Fr. Clemente of Tulcán, Tirso de Molina Publishing House, Quito, 1959.

Rev. Fr. Juan R. de Legísima & Rev. Fr. Gaspar Calvo Moralejo, Vamos tras el…, Eighth Edition, Madrid, 1972.

Text digitized and adapted from Franciscan devotional sources by Bro. Félix Becerra, O.F.S. (2020).

Final Commentary

This devotion, deeply Franciscan and ecclesial, is not founded upon extraordinary promises or obligatory private revelations, but upon an evangelical meditation on the life of Saint Joseph, contemplated in the light of sorrow and joy, silence and faithful trust.

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