In certain denominations of faith, St. Joseph is celebrated as the Earth Father of Jesus, and has been celebrated as the Patron Saint of Sicily. In many churches, March 19 of each year is the day designated as the Festa di San Giuseppe (Feast of St. Joseph).

Some of the celebrations of St. Joseph’s Day have included the practice of hosting St. Joseph’s Tables, inviting people to gather and share their faith, share some simple, yet delicious food, and offer prayers to St. Joseph, also referred to as the Foster Father of the Child Jesus. The tradition of the St. Joseph Table dates back to the Middle Ages when Sicily experienced severe droughts, causing crops to fail, resulting in famine and death. The poor people prayed to God for rain, and asked St. Joseph to intercede with God to bring that rain. The promise of the people was that if God made it rain, people would hold a special feast in honor of St. Joseph.

The rains eventually came, the harvest was good, and people stayed true to their promise and prepared the feast. At the beginning, it was the wealthy land owners who prepared the feast to be held in the town square to feed the poor. Down through the ages, if the people had/have prayed for a favor and it was granted, they gave their thanks celebrating this festive tradition, which has become known as La Tavola di San Giuseppe (The Table of St. Joseph).

St. Joseph has also been known as the Patron Saint of the poor, the homeless, and unwed mothers, and although many celebrations of St. Joseph’s Tables are centered around family tables in private homes, the true celebrations include(d) an open welcome and invitation to anyone and everyone who wish/wished to accept. The traditions and menus were/are very important to the feast, although some may vary depending on where in Sicily, or other places, a family may have originated or currently live.

Many of the more modern celebrations of a St. Joseph Table have included spaghetti dinners, and lavish tables of fine, homemade baked goods, and sometimes Froggias, frittatas, and omelets. Some have included large spreads of antipastos, roast beef, roast pork, chicken, cutlets, pastas, fish, soups, vegetables, and the always traditional display of amazingly delicious baked goods, but the true and traditional St. Joseph’s Tables are ones that offer meatless dishes.

A number of celebrations and traditions in the Roman Catholic Church involve meatless meals. Growing up, we, as practicing Catholics, abstained from eating meat on all Fridays, and Ash Wednesday, (in present days, abstinence from eating meat is practiced on Ash Wednesdays and the Fridays of Lent, though many still choose to sacrifice meals with meat on more than just Lenten Fridays) and many, though it was/is not a mandate, ate/eat meatless meals on Christmas Eve, as a tradition of sacrifice. Remembering that many people were/are poor throughout the days of the church, meat was/is considered a luxury, and a true sacrifice involves giving up something that is a luxury, so the celebration of gatherings which includes meatless meals is hoped to find favor with God.

Another tradition of a St. Joseph’s Table was/is, if you are hosting one, to place an olive branch over your door to let people know that all are welcome at the table. It is also customary for a priest or distinguished guest to offer the following St. Joseph Table Prayer, or one similar to it:

“St. Joseph … we ask your intercession for all our intentions. St. Joseph the Worker, Patron Saint of the little man, the poor – new and old, the unemployed and those with freedom stifled. We honor you once a year with our fish and orange, also with our prayers. And we pray now, more than ever before, that those who are in need will have their needs fulfilled, but through our efforts and human miracles. VIVA SAN GIUSEPPE!”

Another custom at some celebrations might include, or have included, following the prayer, a speaker (maybe the priest or distinguished guest) giving a very brief history of how the celebration came to be. Again, there are variations to the celebration in different towns, villages, cities in Sicily, and wherever celebrations may take place.

Here in our community, two of our local Catholic Churches have held St. Joseph Tables for as long as I can remember. For most of those years, St. James Church and St. John Church, both having many parishioners of Italian descent with ancestry links to Sicily, have held Spaghetti Dinners with an amazing spread of dolces delicioso (delicious sweets) and homemade breads to satisfy anyone who chose to attend the celebration. In years past, these dinners included Fraggiolas, frittatas, and omelets, but have more recently scaled down to the Spaghetti and Meatball Dinner with salad, bread, refreshment, and dessert. St. James Church has continued that type of celebration, and will be holding their annual dinner and table on Sunday, March 19, in their church hall, and will have their doors open to anyone who wants to support their church and join their celebration.

Last year, and what will be continued this year as well, Holy Apostles Parish, which includes St. John Church, has gone away from the Spaghetti Dinner Table to a more traditional meatless celebration and free-will offering in honor of St. Joseph. At the Holy Apostles Table of St. Joseph, there are soups, fish selections, breads, and desserts, laid out where people can sample many different meatless dishes, traditional to St. Joseph Day Tables, and some that people have also enjoyed on the day before the Birth of Christ when many Catholics observe the aforementioned “Feast of Seven Fishes (Festa dei Sette Pesci),” also known as “The Vigil (La Vigilia),” the Italian-American celebration of Christmas Eve with meals of fish and other seafood. Holy Apostles will be hanging their St. Joseph’s Table and Celebration olive branch above their doors on Sunday, March 12 at St. John Church, and all are welcome to attend and take part in this sharing of food, fellowship, and faith.

At both churches, volunteers have been working very hard for many weeks, almost daily, preparing foods, baking breads, cookies, making cannoli and other Italian delicacies to make for true feasts at both parishes. On the days of each celebration of St. Joseph and the tradition of the Table, many more volunteers will be working very hard to provide those who attend with a satisfying meal experience and a remembrance of the man who accepted Jesus under his supervision and who cared for Him on earth.

The Voice from the Bullpen encourages as many as possible to support both of these celebrations and enjoy the food and the History of the Tables. Last I knew, there was no religious requirement or specific denomination required to share a meal and fellowship with others, and this would be a great chance to expand horizons a bit, learn about other customs and traditions of other faiths, or maybe to get back to the celebrations of our own faith through the breaking of bread and prayer.

St. Joseph has special meaning for me personally, as my father’s (R.I.P.) name is Joseph, and I am honored to carry that name as my first name as well. Many have asked me what the “J” stands for, and if you didn’t know it before, it is hereby revealed at last. (Not as dramatic as when everyone found out Kramer’s first name, but it’s the best I could do.)

So pencil March 12 and 19 on your calendars and accept the invitation to thank St. Joseph for his intercession with God for us. See you at the celebration!!

BUON APPETITO and VIVA SAN GIUSEPPE!!