Saint Joseph in the Eucharistic Prayers
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,215
    A music director wrote to me a few days ago to ask if I could help answer a question from the pastor of her parish. He knew that the first Eucharistic Prayer includes a mention of Saint Joseph:
    In union with the whole Church we honor Mary, the ever-virgin mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God. We honor Joseph, her husband, the apostles and martyrs Peter and Paul, Andrew, [...] and all the saints.

    and that a similar mention of Saint Joseph had been added to Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV in June 2013 by the provision of Paternas vices, the first decree which Pope Francis issued on liturgical matters.
    In Eucharistic Prayer II:
    "that with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with the blessed Apostles...";

    In Eucharistic Prayer III:
    "with the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs...";

    In Eucharistic Prayer IV:
    "with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her Spouse, and with your Apostles...".


    The pastor's question was this: does that mention of Saint Joseph also apply to other Eucharistic Prayers? That is, to the EPs for Reconciliation (I and II) and the EPs for Various Needs, which appear in the (US) Roman Missal at pp. 758-797.

    After searching around a bit, and looking through all the issues of Notitiae published since 2013, I've found no talk about extending the mention of Saint Joseph to any more of the EPs, so as far as I can tell, the answer is no.

    If anyone has more information on the topic, please let us know.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,092
    So far as I am aware, it's just those four. The Eucharistic Prayers for Reconciliation don't offer a place for the insertion of a named saint other than the BVM (like EP II and EP IV); the four Eucharistic Prayers for Various Needs do offer such a place (like EP III), but not specifically St Joseph per Paternas vices.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,467
    Just anecdotal but Glenstal Abbey used EPR1 tday at the conventual Mass, and did not mention St Joseph (21:10).
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 997
    No, St. Joseph is only mentioned in EP I, II, III and IV. (I once have seen an explanation of that somewhere, but would need to search for that reference). But that doesn't keep some priests to include him in other Eucharistic Prayers as well. If there's room to mention any saints, I see no harm in that, especially during this Year of St. Joseph.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,307
    On the other hand, and not to be too controversial, but I was amused by the FAQs for Benedictus:

    Is Saint Joseph in the Canon?
    Yes, per the provisions of Summorum Pontificum, which specify the 1962 Missal of Pope John XXIII as typical.


    First, I think it's interesting that this even came up. Second, which 1962 missal? It's not a purely academic question; the edition including St Joseph in the Canon only came into effect at the end of 1962, and Benedict, then the PCED and finally the CDF have sort of danced around this question ever since Summorum Pontificum came out.
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