To thee, O blessed Joseph,
do we come in our tribulation,
and having implored the help of thy thrice-holy Spouse,
we confidently invoke thy patronage also.
Through that charity which bound thee
to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God
and that paternal love
with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus,
we humbly beg thee graciously to regard
the inheritance which Jesus Christ
hath purchased by his blood,
and with thy power and strength to aid us
in our necessities.
O most watchful Guardian of the Holy Family,
defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ;
O most loving Father,
ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence;
O our most mighty Protector,
be propitious to us
and from heaven assist us
in our struggle with the power of darkness.
As once thou didst rescue the Child Jesus
from deadly peril,
so now protect God's holy Church
from the snares of the enemy
and from all adversity;
shield too, each one of us by thy constant protection,
so that, supported by thine example and thine aid,
we may be able to live piously, to die holily,
and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven.
Amen.
Prayer to St. Joseph
Also known as To Thee O Blessed Joseph ยท Saint Joseph Prayer
About this prayer
St. Joseph is venerated in the Catholic Church as the foster father of Jesus, the husband of Mary, and the patron of the universal Church, workers, fathers, and a holy death. His feast days are March 19 (St. Joseph, Husband of Mary) and May 1 (St. Joseph the Worker). Devotion to St. Joseph grew significantly in the 19th century; Pope Pius IX declared him patron of the universal Church in 1870 AD. The prayer given here is the traditional prayer to St. Joseph from the Catholic prayer book tradition, asking for his intercession and protection. It draws on the theology that Joseph, who guarded Jesus and Mary on earth, continues to intercede for the faithful before God.
When it's said
This prayer is said in private devotion, on the feast of St. Joseph, and in parish novenas to St. Joseph. A shorter form is often said as a daily prayer. The prayer was included in the Leonine Prayers after Mass in some periods alongside the Prayer to St. Michael.
Notes on the text
The prayer addresses Joseph as 'Guardian of the Holy Family' and 'most loving Father,' titles reflecting his role as protector of Jesus and Mary. The phrase 'thrice-holy Spouse' refers to Mary. The reference to rescuing the Child Jesus from deadly peril recalls the flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15).
Traditional Catholic prayer, 19th century popularized form. Text from F.X. Lasance, The Blessed Sacrament Book, 1913. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.