CHARLOTTE — On May 1, the Church will celebrate the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.
It had been planned as a particular day of celebration for the Diocese of Charlotte, but plans have been curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year is being dedicated as the Year of St. Joseph, and May also marks the expected completion date for St. Joseph College Seminary, located near Belmont Abbey College in Belmont.
On May 1, college seminary leaders and supporters had planned a large outdoor Mass on the grounds of the new building, followed by an open house for the public to tour the new permanent home for the college seminary.
Plans for the Mass offered by Bishop Peter Jugis are still going ahead, but now it will be a livestreamed Mass at 5:30 p.m. EST on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel. (Subscribe to the channel: www.youtube.com/dioceseofcharlotte.)
The open house will be scheduled later when public health restrictions allow.
During the Year of St. Joseph in the diocese, this patron saint of workers and the Universal Church is being honored in special ways.
Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of St. Joseph the Worker in 1955. This feast extends the long relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers in both Catholic faith and devotion.
Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the dignity of human work has long been celebrated as a participation in the creative work of God. By labor we fulfill the command found in Genesis to cultivate the earth and thus raise it up as an offering of praise. St Joseph worked as an artisan in the medium of wood just as the Son of God given into his care would work His greatest labor, our salvation, through the means of wood.
Opened in 2016, St. Joseph College Seminary has been a magnet for young men wanting to discern the priesthood. Enrollment growth has been faster than the diocese had anticipated, from eight students in its first year to 26 during the current academic year.
Construction work on the $20 million project is expected to be substantially completed within the coming weeks. The fundraising campaign recently reached $14.5 million.
The two-story, Gothic-styled building will include a chapel, classroom, library, conference rooms, a kitchen and refectory (cafeteria), faculty offices, and a guest room for speakers and visiting priests. It will also include 40 dorm rooms or “cells” for the college seminarians.
— Catholic News Herald. Franciscan Media contributed. photo provided
Pictured: The St. Joseph College Seminary in Belmont is nearing completion. Bishop Peter Jugis will celebrate Mass May 1, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, on the college seminary grounds. (Provided photos)
More online
At www.yearofstjoseph.org: Find educational resources, prayers and devotions, and “Year of St. Joseph” event details from across the diocese, as dates for special events are finalized.
