On December 8, 2020, through the Apostolic Letter Patris corde (With a Father’s Heart), Pope Francis recalled the 150th anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. The Pope describes Saint Joseph as a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father, a father who is creatively courageous, a working father and a father in the shadows.
To mark the occasion, the Holy Father proclaimed a Year of Saint Joseph from December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021.
At the Gozo cathedral, the Year of Saint Joseph will be inaugurated on Sunday, January 24. Mgr Tarcisio Camilleri, vicar general, will concelebrate Mass with the Cathedral Chapter and members of the clergy of Għaxaq at 10am. It will be followed by the blessing of the restored statue of St Joseph venerated at the parish church of Għaxaq. The statue has been restored in Gozo by Michael Camilleri-Cauchi and his son Adonai. It was then re-gilded, also in Gozo, by Mari