Prayer Service for Celebration and Reflection
on Father’s Day
In the Church, however, fathers have been honoured through the example of St. Joseph as far back as the 10th century when Joseph’s life was celebrated in Rome. Pope Pius V extended the celebration to the entire Church in 1570 while Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph as the Church’s patron and protector in 1870.
Pope Francis has often spoken about St. Joseph, whose silence in the Gospels, in spite of his being chosen by God as the earthly father of Jesus, is reflective of the many fathers devoted to their families who fulfil their vocation quietly, striving to the bring Jesus into the heart of the family. In this faith-filled and essential role, St. Joseph continues to be a model for Catholic fathers. Reflecting on his own fatherhood, every Father need to understand his vitol role in building the family with Christian values.
In his 2015 series of talks on the family, Pope Francis recalled the divine role of St. Joseph, and the significance of the saint as a model for Christian fathers everywhere, saying, “The Church … is committed to supporting with all her strength the good and generous presence of fathers in families, for they are the irreplaceable guardians and mediators of faith in goodness, of faith in justice and in God’s protection, like St Joseph.”
Kindly find the prayer service attached below: