The year of St. Joseph came to its conclusion on December 8, but the Knights of Columbus want to keep devotions to the Patron of the Universal Church in full focus. Earlier this year, the KofC produced an inspiring documentary on the adoptive father of Christ. Now, they have released the high-quality feature online for all to view, free of charge.
The documentary, St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father, was first released on October 10, 2021. Thanks to a deal with ABC, it ran on affiliate stations for six weeks in the fall. It was hailed for its high production values, which interspersed interviews with Catholic scholars and personalities with beautifully reenacted scenes from biblical accounts of St. Joseph’s life.
At its release, Supreme Knight and leader of the largest fraternal organization Patrick Kelly said of the film:
“St. Joseph is often considered the silent, humble witness of the Bible. The truth is that he models for each one of us the importance of prayer, obedience and courage in our lives. I encourage everyone to watch this documentary as a way to go to St. Joseph, increase their devotion to him and allow his example to inspire us in our many challenges.”
The hour-long documentary covers the life of St. Joseph, but it also delves into historical devotions to the saint. CNA notes that a portion of the film follows the dedication of Catholics who were sent to the concentration camp at Dachau, during World War II.
Fearing for their safety, this group was led in a novena by a Catholic priest. Just as their novena ended, the camp was liberated by allied forces. The documentary contains five other inspirational tales of historical devotions to St. Joseph.
St. Joseph: Our Spiritual Father can be viewed for free on the Knights of Columbus website. The description, written by Patrick Kelly, notes that while the Bible did not document any of St. Joseph’s words, his actions spoke for themselves. Kelly wrote:
“Joseph of Nazareth stands out as the model par excellence of Christian virtue, a brilliant example of obedience to God and trust in Divine Providence. His role as protector of families in the difficulties of life and Patron of the universal Church has never been more clearly needed. Now, in this Year of St. Joseph, the Church is seeking to deepen its understanding of the Guardian of Jesus and of the Holy Family.”
