Students from Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron often attend the lunch programs of the First Friday Club of Greater Akron. But it’s unlikely they expected to be drawn into the program like they were during the May 1 event on the feast day of St. Joseph the Worker, one of two days the Church celebrates Jesus’ earthly father. The other is March 19, the saint’s feast day.
Father Damian Ference, diocesan vicar for evangelization and a professor at Borromeo Seminary, told the group he dedicated himself to St. Joseph last year. He also noted that the May 1 feast was created by Pope Pius XII in 1955 as a Christian counter-celebration to Communist-led May Day demonstrations.
“Pax et bonum,” Father Ference said as he began his talk. The Latin term is a typical Franciscan greeting that means “peace and everything good.” He reminded the group that Pope Leo XIV declared 2026 as the Jubilee Year of St. Francis, marking the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death.
Bishop Edward Malesic named nine locations in the diocese – seven parishes and two shrines – with connections to St. Francis as pilgrimage sites for the jubilee year.
As he discussed the life of St. Joseph, Father Ference drew the students into the program by asking a series of questions. He noted St. Joseph played a vital role as head of the Holy Family, providing for and protecting Mary and Jesus. Yet, little is written about him in the Gospels.
“Joseph doesn’t say much, but he is a good listener,” Father Ference said, noting angels appeared to him telling him to care for Mary when her pregnancy was discovered and to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt for safety.
“He stayed true to her (Mary),” Father Ference said. “He was a faithful husband and father who placed his trust in God.”
As a carpenter, Joseph was strong, using that strength to protect his family, setting an example for men today. Joseph is often pictured with a lily, which Father Ference called his “sword of purity.” He encouraged the group to model St. Joseph and to “be great at what you’re called to do” and to “lead by example … Use the gifts God gave you to glorify him.” That connects to the dismissal at the end of Mass, when we are told to “Go in peace glorifying the Lord.”
As lay people, we are supposed to bring Jesus to the world, to consecrate the world. As a priest, Father Ference said his job is to consecrate the bread and wine at Mass.
He also noted that St. Joseph is called the patron saint of a happy death. “You can pray for a good (happy) death for a loved one and St. Joseph will hear you,” he said.
Attorney Tania Nemer will speak on “Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration and the Call to Faith” at the June 5 program. Learn more here.