The Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has issued new texts that include the name of St. Joseph, husband of the virgin Mary, in the main Eucharistic Prayers at Mass.
According to a press release by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Vatican has provided Latin texts of the revised prayers as well as official translations in the major western languages, including English and Spanish.
The decree, Paternas vices (Fatherly care), was issued May 1 by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and promulgated by the authority of Pope Francis. St. Joseph has been included in the first Eucharistic Prayer since Pope John XXIII inserted his name in 1962. The new decree extends the inclusion of St. Joseph to Eucharistic Prayers II, III and IV.
St. Joseph is widely venerated in the Catholic Church. In 1870, Pope Pius IX proclaimed him Patron of the Universal Church, a feast celebrated on March 19. The Vatican’s decree says that St. Joseph “stands as an exemplary model of the kindness and humility that the Christian faith raises to a great destiny, and demonstrates the ordinary and simple virtues necessary for men to be good and genuine followers of Christ.”
The revised prayers are approved to be used immediately.
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