This is a list of St. Joseph’s many titles, taken from the Litany of St. Joseph. Comment your favorite name for St. Joseph at the end of this post! Personally, I really love his titles “Mirror of patience” and “Pillar of Families.”
Titles for St. Joseph
- Renowned offspring of David
- Light of Patriarchs
- Spouse of the Mother of God
- Chaste guardian of the Virgin
- Foster-father of the Son of God
- Diligent protector of Christ
- Head of the Holy Family
- Joseph most just
- Joseph most chaste
- Joseph most prudent
- Joseph most strong
- Joseph most obedient
- Joseph most faithful
- Mirror of patience
- Lover of poverty
- Model of artisans
- Glory of home life
- Guardian of virgins
- Pillar of families
- Solace of the wretched
- Hope of the sick
- Patron of the dying
- Terror of demons
- Protector of Holy Church
As mentioned before, I put together the short list here based on the Litany of St. Joseph.
What is a Litany?
A litany is a type of prayer consisting of petitions and responses. It is typically prayed by a group in public worship settings, but it can also be prayed privately. There are only six litanies approved by the Holy See for public use. They are the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, Litany of the Saints, Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Litany of St. Joseph.
The Litany of St. Joseph
Below is the Litany of St. Joseph. When prayed in public with a group, the congregation’s response to the leader appears below in bold italics.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world:
Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us. (repeat at end of each phrase.)
Renowned offspring of David,
Light of Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster-father of the Son of God,
Diligent protector of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most strong,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of artisans,
Glory of home life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the wretched,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
V. He made him the lord of His house:
R. And ruler of all His substance.
Let us pray.
O God, who in Thine unspeakable providence didst vouchsafe to choose blessed Joseph to be the spouse of Thine own most holy Mother: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may deserve to have him for our intercessor in heaven, whom we reverence as our defender on earth: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Next, check out this post for the many names for Mary, the Holy Mother of God the Son.
Madeline Rose McKissick says
I love these titles of St. Joseph: Joseph most just, Joseph most chaste, Joseph most prudent, Joseph most strong, Joseph most obedient, Joseph most faithful. They’re beautiful reminders of what a holy man he is, and they remind me of the qualities that I want my future husband to have.