During this Year of St. Joseph, Bishop Folda asked pastors to join him in consecrating all parishes in the Diocese of Fargo to St. Joseph. At St. Benedict’s Parish, this will take place at the end of the 8:30 a.m. Mass on Friday, March 19th, 2021. The prayer that we will use is a modified version of the “Act of Consecration to St. Joseph”. I encourage individuals and families to join us on this day to Consecrate themselves to St. Joseph (Consecration prayer available below).

More information about the Year of St. Joseph can be found on the “Year of St. Joseph” page.

33-Day Preparation

The Diocese of Fargo has produced a video series to prepare you for this Consecration. It is a 33-day preparation, based on Fr. Calloway’s Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father. While the original series started on Feb. 15, you can begin it on any date. There is a video for each of the 33 days available from the Diocese of Fargo YouTube page.

Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

Two versions of the “Act of Consecration to St. Joseph” are given here. The first version is for one person alone. The Act of Consecration adapted for a family or group is given afterward. These prayers are also available as a printable document (PDF):

Act of Consecration to St. Joseph

Consecration of an individual.

O Glorious Patriarch and Patron of the Church! O Virgin Spouse of the Virgin Mother of God! O Guardian and Virginal Father of the Word Incarnate! In the presence of Jesus and Mary, I choose you this day to be my father, my guardian, and my protector.

O great St. Joseph, whom God has made the Head of the Holy Family, accept me, I beseech you, though utterly unworthy, to be a member of your “Holy House.” Present me to your Immaculate Spouse; ask her also to adopt me as her child. With her, pray that I may constantly think of Jesus, and serve him faithfully to the end of my life. O Terror of Demons, increase in me virtue, protect me from the evil one, and help me not to offend God in any way.

O my Spiritual Father, I hereby consecrate myself to you. In faithful imitation of Jesus and Mary, I place myself and all my concerns under your care and protection. To you, after Jesus and Mary, I consecrate my body and soul, with all their faculties, my spiritual growth, my home, and all my affairs and undertakings.

Forsake me not, but adopt me as a servant and child of the Holy Family. Watch over me at all times, but especially at the hour of my death. Console and strengthen me with the presence of Jesus and Mary so that, with you, I may praise and adore the Holy Trinity for all eternity. Amen.

Consecration of a family or group.

O Glorious Patriarch and Patron of the Church! O Virgin Spouse of the Virgin Mother of God! O Guardian and Virginal Father of the Word Incarnate! In the presence of Jesus and Mary, we choose you this day to be our father, our guardian, and our protector.

O great St. Joseph, whom God has made the Head of the Holy Family, accept us, we beseech you, though utterly unworthy, to be members of your “Holy House.” Present us to your Immaculate Spouse; ask her also to adopt us as her children. With her, pray that we may constantly think of Jesus, and serve him faithfully to the end of our lives. O Terror of Demons, increase in us virtue, protect us from the evil one, and help us not to offend God in any way.

O my Spiritual Father, we hereby consecrate ourselves to you. In faithful imitation of Jesus and Mary, we place ourselves and all our concerns under your care and protection. To you, after Jesus and Mary, we consecrate our bodies and souls, with all their faculties, our spiritual growth, our home, and all our affairs and undertakings.

Forsake us not, but adopt us as servants and children of the Holy Family. Watch over us at all times, but especially at the hour of our deaths. Console and strengthen us with the presence of Jesus and Mary so that, with you, we may praise and adore the Holy Trinity for all eternity. Amen.

In conclusion, it would be appropriate to recite the Litany of St. Joseph and others prayers to St. Joseph.