The exact date of Saint Joseph’s death, the husband of the Virgin Mary, is unknown. The choice of March 19 may have been influenced by the fact that the Martyrologium Hieronymianum (Jerome Martyrology) records another saint of the same name, a deacon from Antioch, on this day. Additionally, the martyrologies list other saints named Joseph on dates close to this one.
The private devotion to Saint Joseph began around the 9th century, but it didn’t become widespread until the 14th century, and especially the 15th. In 1621, Pope Gregory XV made March 19 a holy day of obligation. Pope Pius IX, in 1870, declared the foster father of the Lord as the patron saint of the universal Church. The most recent great honor given to Saint Joseph was by Pope John XXIII, who added his name to the Roman Canon of the Mass.
Because March 19 has become so popular (as has devotion to Saint Joseph and his name), the recent reformers of the liturgical calendar did not dare to move this solemnity. Since it always falls during Lent, episcopal conferences have been given the authority to transfer it to another day if they deem it appropriate.
