The Diocese of Allentown celebrated the feast of the Holy Family on Sunday, Dec. 26, remembering the example of the blessed virgin Mary, St. Joseph and the infant, Jesus. 

The Feast of the Holy Family is a day of obligation in the Catholic Church, meaning that the faithful are expected to attend if they are able. 

“Praised be Jesus Christ! As we begin the Octave of Christmas (eight days of celebration), the Church is inviting us to reflect on the beauty of the Holy Family during this Year of the Real Presence. The Gospel for today gives us a brief glimpse into the young life of Christ. Christ goes with His parents to Jerusalem for the Passover. Instead of returning with His family and their caravan, He stays at the Temple. We hear in scripture that the teachers of the law ‘were astounded' at His understanding (Lk 2:47) and even His parents were ‘astonished,’ (Lk 2:48) and that they ‘did not understand what He said to them,’ (Lk 2:50). This same mystery and astonishment echoes true in our hearts when we ponder the Incarnation. Christ, the Son of God, became man to save us. That same Son of God is present in the tiny Host in all the tabernacles of the world. This is all part of the mystery of Christ and Christmas; how can we not rejoice in this? As we continue in this Octave of Christmas, let us rejoice at our astonishment and be at peace knowing that the Lord is there, present for each one of us in the tiny Host,” the Diocese of Allentown posted on Facebook.

There are a number of churches in West Virginia that are named in honor of the Holy Family, including those in Latrobe, Philadelphia and New Brighton. 

“St. Joseph, a carpenter, was engaged to Mary when she became pregnant with Jesus. Although he knew the baby wasn’t his, adulterous women could be stoned to death, so he decided instead to send her quietly away. However, an angel visited him and told him that he should take Mary as his wife, because the child she carried was the son of God. Joseph trusted the angel and married Mary. Joseph is the patron saint of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants and happy deaths,” according to Catholic.org.

Much of what we know about St. Joseph is found in Matthew 1:19-25, in which the angel appeared to Joseph and instructed him about what was going to happen with his betrothed, the blessed virgin Mary.