St Mark the Evangelist will honor the year of St Joseph with a St Joseph Day Altar which will be blessed after the 6 p.m. Adoration and Stations of the Cross on Friday, March 19^th, 2021 at the St Joseph statue in the Church. The Altar will remain until Sunday, March 21, 2021 at noon. All parishioners are welcome to participate.

HISTORY:  ST JOSEPH’S DAY Altar is an ancient tradition that originated in Sicily.  In the Middle Ages, a great drought brought a famine that gripped the island. The people prayed fervently to St Joseph, their Patron Saint, for relief.  When at last the skies opened, sending down life-giving water, the people rejoiced. To show their gratitude, they paid honor to St Joseph by preparing a table with the harvested fruits and vegetables. They distributed the food to those less fortunate. This began a tradition that continues to this day by anyone dedicated to St Joseph. It is common to hear stories of good fortune and favors attributed to a St Joseph Altar.

TRADITIONS:  The traditions include a table blessed by a Priest, in three tiers, symbolizing the Most Holy Trinity. The top tier holds a statue of St Joseph surrounded by flowers and greenery. The other tiers hold food, flowers, candles, religious figurines, symbolic breads in shapes depicting various items of St Joseph, and the life of Christ. Sesame seeds, which are cultivated all over Italy, and breadcrumbs symbolize the sawdust of the carpenter.  Bread and wine symbolize the Last Supper and the miracle at Cana. Lemons and oranges, which grow plentifully all over the island, symbolize hospitality, and the fava bean, the only crop to survive the drought and saved many from starvation, symbolizes good luck. There is no meat on the Altar because the Feast of St Joseph falls during Lent. Pictures of the saints fill out the table. It is a St Joseph tradition to wear Red. Finally, there is a basket in which the faithful may place Prayer Petitions and offerings of Thanksgiving.

FOOD DRIVE & BLESSING OF BREAD:   Traditionally, food and monetary offerings from the Altar are shared with the poor. This year, due to pandemic restrictions no food will be exchanged. Instead, St Mark will sponsor a non-perishable food drive, to be shared with the Catholic Center of Concern. Also, you are invited to place your bread on the Altar for blessing. This bread should be clearly wrapped so the bread is visible and retrieved after the blessing and taken home.  Labels will be available to personalize your item to retrieve your bread and take it home after the Altar is blessed after the service on Friday evening.

BRING YOUR NON-PERISHABLE FOOD DRIVE ITEMS OR BREAD TO BE BLESSED TO THE ST JOSEPH STATUE IN THE CHURCH BEFORE THE 6 PM SERVICE ON FRIDAY, MARCH 19^TH.