Saint Joseph died a holy and happy death. He died gazing upon Jesus and resting in the arms of Mary. What greater death could a person experience? God has designated St. Joseph as the Patron of the Dying because he wants us to experience a death similar to that of St. Joseph, a holy and happy death.

Death is a part of life, but it is not an easy part of life. Letting go and saying goodbye to family and friends is not easy. In many monasteries, there are signs that read “Memento Mori” (“Remember You Will Die”). The sign is not meant to be morbid, but rather to serve as a reminder that our life on earth will come to an end, and we need to be prepared for death.

We need to be prepared for death because Satan always tries to get a soul to despair and turn away from our loving God at the hour of death. Ask any priest; he will tell you that a spiritual battle takes place over a soul at the hour of death. For this reason, we need the intercession of our spiritual father to fortify us, protect us, and fill us with trust in God’s love and mercy.

Jesus granted to him [St. Joseph] the special privilege of safeguarding the dying against the snares of Lucifer, just as he had also saved him [Jesus] from the schemes of Herod.

— St. Alphonsus Liguori

SAINT JOSEPH IS YOUR PERSONAL PATRON. Saint Joseph is everyone’s personal patron because everyone is going to die. None of us is going to be here forever. You have a loving spiritual father who can help you prepare for death. On his deathbed, St. Joseph himself must have been concerned about the future of his wife and Son. Would they suffer? Would they be treated cruelly by others? Would their future be a happy one? Yet St. Joseph had boundless confidence in God’s love and mercy. He died trusting in Divine Providence, full of confidence that God would take care of his wife and Son. With St. Joseph in your life, you do not have to be fearful of death either. When your time comes, St. Joseph will help you experience a happy and holy death.

The Church encourages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. In the litany of the saints, for instance, she has us pray: “From a sudden and unforeseen death, deliver us, O Lord,” to ask the Mother of God to intercede for us “at the hour of our death” in the Hail Mary; and to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death.

— Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism tells us that, in order to prepare for death, we should “entrust ourselves to St. Joseph.” In other words, consecrate yourself to St. Joseph! To prevent an unhappy death — a death that catches us unprepared, without the last Sacraments — prepare for it now by consecrating yourself to St. Joseph and living a holy life. In giving everything to St. Joseph, death will not catch you unprepared. Today, many people are not prepared for death. They do not consider their mortality, living as if they are immortal and immune to the grave. The finality of death will be a torture for such people.

As for you, live a pious life in union with the Church. Remain in a state of sanctifying grace. Go to Confession and Holy Communion frequently. Give everything to St. Joseph!

He [a servant of St. Joseph] will beg of him the grace of dying as he himself did, with the kiss of Jesus and in the arms of Mary.

— Blessed William Joseph Chaminade

Happy are you if your death has the assistance of St. Joseph. Then, no matter if flames devour you, or waters overwhelm you, or disease slays you, the prayers of St. Joseph will throw around you an all protecting mantle of defense.

— Venerable Nelson Baker

Read “Patron of a Happy Death”

Pray the Litany of St. Joseph

“Used with permission of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Stockbridge, MA USA.”