Devotion To St Joseph’s Most Chaste Heart – Approved Apparitions…
Many know about approved apparitions of our Blessed Mother. But only a handful realize that there were apparitions in Itapiranga, Brazil from 1994-1998 in which St. Joseph appeared along with Mary and Jesus.
In January 2010, after much study, prayer, reflection, observation and seeing the growth in the faith life of thousands, the local ordinary, Bishop Carillo Gritti declared a Decree of Worship favoring the Itapiranga appearances and in an earlier document called it of “supernatural origin.”
In another document he stated that considering the manifestations of the Virgin from 2005-10, who has called upon devotion to the three Sacred Hearts: Jesus, Mary and Joseph, a first step has been taken to build a new sanctuary with the certainty that it will be a place for pilgrimages, and the conversions that only God by the intercession of Mary can operate has been thus far for him and enlightened souls, reason enough to see in these visions and messages the finger of God (translated form the Portuguese). Click here to read the rest of the article
Comment:
I hadn’t known about these approved apparitions until a couple of days ago, but it strikes me that devotion to the Most Chaste Heart of St Joseph is not only a most appropriate devotion, but most necessary – especially for young boys and men – in our sexually promiscuous times. Share your thoughts…
Update
Please read the comments below from Westminster Fly. These alleged apparitions may not be true, after all. Seems the alleged seer is a globe-trotter, having “apparitions” on demand, just like the Medjugorje bunch, so I apologise for posting this thread uncritically; in this time of crisis, we need to question everything in the post-Vatican II Church, and that includes apparently approved “apparitions”.
Comments (16)
Devotion to St Joseph, by all means. I recently posted a prayer to St Joseph on this site:- https://catholictruthblog.com/2016/06/24/will-uk-leaving-eu-lead-to-restoration-of-the-reign-of-christ-the-king
Although these alleged apparitions may be genuine – I haven’t really looked into them that much – I am very wary of any alleged apparitions in these post-conciliar times. Firstly, there are so many of them across the world, and Our Lord made it clear that the devotion to His Sacred Heart (Paray-le-Monial) was the last help that He was holding out for mankind. After this, He sent His Mother to Fatima, who told us that ‘only She could help us now’ – yet how many Catholics follow Our Lady’s full Fatima message, and how many of these modern alleged apparitions repeat the call for the Consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart and First Five Saturday devotions – I can’t think of one.
So many patently false or doubtful apparitions – Lipa in the Philippines and Our Lady of All Nations in Amsterdam are two that spring to mind, were banned by the Church authorities in saner times – but have now received ecclesiastical approval from the local Ordinaries. One alleged apparition in Kibeho, Africa, was particularly noteworthy because while some elements of it received Church approval from the local Ordinary, others did not. How confusing is that?
I have read alleged ‘messages’ emanating from many of these alleged apparitions which have received some degree of approval in recent times, and many of them are banal or simply don’t ring true.
My concern is that if the hierarchy can’t even get the basics right regarding matters of dogma, what chance they will get it right over alleged private revelations? And it’s no good saying that it doesn’t matter if the messages of the alleged apparitions conform to Church teaching – because if they are not of Heaven, then all they will serve to do is distract and take people away from genuine devotions and authentic piety. As to the abovementioned alleged apparition of St Joseph, all I would say is proceed with caution . . .
PS There is a long approved apparition site (from 1660) of St Joseph in Cotignac, France. The Remnant wrote about it here, and there is a video:- http://www.remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/fetzen-fliegen/item/2338-a-pilgrimage-to-the-south-of-france-la-salette-st-joseph-apparition-site-st-mary-magdalen-s-relics
Hmm. Even a cursory glance at this has made me even more doubtful now. This alleged seer Edson Glauber, is all over YouTube, globe-trotting and still having apparitions wherever he turns up. This one is from Finland in 2015:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmpqBde0XpA
In a further twist, some Medjugorists are saying online that it shows that apparitions can be approved by the Church while they are on-going, and are citing Edson Glauber as an instance – no doubt hoping that Medjugorje will be approved while the ‘seers are still alive and spouting their interminable ‘messages’. Glauber is having daily messages it would seem, even as recently as last week: http://afterthewarning.com/messages-from-heaven/edson-glauber.aspx In my opinion, this approval by the local Ordinary of these alleged apparitions of St Joseph is a VERY dangerous precedent. I revise my above opinion about these alleged apparitions. I wouldn’t proceed with caution, I’d proceed in the opposite direction . . . quickly! One can have devotion to St Joseph without belief in this stuff.
WF,
Thank you for your three comments on this subject – thank you very much.
As with the Akita video, I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t look into these alleged apparitions – it really is so easy to assume credibility because they receive approval but you are correct – in the post-Vatican II Church we have to be doubly, triply, even, careful before accepting anything. Tragic but true.
That the “seer” is globe-trotting and having “apparitions” on the trot, as with the Medjugorje bunch, is sufficient for me to discount them.
I can’t thank you enough for this alert. I really must write out, 100 times: “check out all alleged apparitions (and check with WF in particular) before accepting them.
Still, if nothing else, this thread will help to alert people who may otherwise be accepting of these alleged apparitions, just because they’re approved, forgetting that in this time of crisis, we can’t take anything for granted any more…
Thank you, WF. Thank you.
Westminster Fly,
Then the Medjugorists need to admit that they can also be NOT approved and warned of, while ongoing. They are so illogical, all the time.
From a long article on St. Joseph by Fr. Michael D. Griffin:
5. A Devotion Specially Reserved for This Modern Age
“If devotion to Joseph is so important, it may be asked, why did it not flourish in the Church until more recent times? The only answer that can be given to this question is that in the providence of God it was necessary for Joseph to remain in obscurity in order to protect the mystery of the Incarnation and the virginity of Mary. In the eyes of God “a thousand years is like a day”, and we are becoming increasingly aware that God’s providence always brings to full flowering in the Church the devotions relevant to a particular time. God also inspires the Church to define a certain dogma of the faith at the particular moment in history when it is most helpful to the faithful. Obviously the definition of the Assumption of Mary did not become a truth in 1950 with the solemn definition of Pope Pius XII, this truth has been the Church’s from the beginning. But in the providence of God this definition was reserved to our age because of its special aptness to the times in which we live.
Thus with devotion to Saint Joseph: it is a powerful antidote to many of the moral dangers of this age. Stirred by the workings of divine grace, the Holy Spirit has granted the people of God the inspiration and enlightenment necessary to discover in the person of Joseph a cure for the problems that afflict them. Among these problems can be mentioned: failure of men to accept the role of leadership in their homes; neglect of spirituality in marriage; lack of sanctification of labor by the working man; a general weakening of esteem for the practice of religion and virtue, especially purity.”
Full article here: https://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/THEOINTR.HTM
RCA Victor,
The concluding paragraph which you have posted from the Fr Griffin article, is really saying it all. Promoting St Joseph as a strong male role model should inspire young men in particular, to stand against the “new man” mentality in our decadent western societies.
As you can see, WF has investigated these new approved apparitions and, with very good reason, found them wanting. I’ve posted an update in the blog introduction, and I have also now amended the website homepage.
Editor,
St Joseph as you know appeared to Sister Lucia at Fatima with Jesus and Mary for a reason, otherwise we hear very little about him. The recent Itaparinga events WHETHER TRUE OR FALSE is irrelevant. However, they draw much needed attention to St. Joseph and THAT IS important.
Since Almighty God entrusted him with caring for Jesus and Mary, could it be that the Fatima apparition of the Holy Family has special significance for our generation, especially so in these evil days when family life is under grave and constant satanic attack?
St. Joseph, astonishingly, has NEVER failed me when I’ve asked for his help – FOR ME HE IS THAT HIDDEN GEM, THAT PEARL WITHOUT PRICE.
Gerontius,
Westminster Fly has covered the mistake (which, with respect, you make) of discounting the truth of apparitions, just because (in this case) “they draw much needed attention to St Joseph.”
St Joseph would definitely NOT want to be used to trick people into believing a false seer.
Gerontius,
False apparitions are never irrelevant. They lead souls astray. It is their sole purpose.
I don’t know how to upload pictures, but I have a beautiful leaflet, which has a 1960 nihil obstat and imprimatur, from the Universal Living Rosary Association titled ‘Do you know the requests of Our Lady of Fatima to bring peace to the world?’ There are 15 excellent points in this leaflet, and the 15th point states this: Saint Joseph: The only Saint who appeared at Fatima besides Our Lady. St Joseph held the Child Jesus in his arms and blessed the 70,000 people 3 times. It is he of whom it has been said: ‘The sound of victory will be heard when the faithful recognize the sanctity of St Joseph’. (If anyone wants any of these TERRIFIC Fatima leaflets to give around, please email ulraengland@hotmail.com)
It has been said that people can piously believe that St Joseph was assumed body and soul into Heaven:- http://www.remnantnewspaper.com/Archives/2011-0315-st-joseph.htm
I would not EVER undermine dear St Joseph. But I do call into question guitar-playing, globe-trotting ‘seers’ who claim to receive messages from him and just about every other heavenly being.
But Gerontius, I agree with you wholeheartedly about the attack on the family. Sister Lucia confirmed this to Cardinal Caffara:- http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2015/06/cardinal-what-sister-lucia-told-me.html
I had some St Joseph prayer cards printed recently of the prayer put on the CT site on this thread:- https://catholictruthblog.com/2016/06/24/will-uk-leaving-eu-lead-to-restoration-of-the-reign-of-christ-the-king The prayer is on one side and a picture taken at the National Shrine of St Joseph in Farnborough, England, is on the other side. If anyone would like some of these cards to give around, I would be happy to send them out free of charge, if we can work out a way with Editor to distribute them. If she would kindly forward any postal addresses to me, I will happily send them out. If this isn’t convenient, perhaps we can try some other way.
I also can testify that “St. Joseph, astonishingly, has NEVER failed me when I’ve asked for his help – FOR ME HE IS THAT HIDDEN GEM, THAT PEARL WITHOUT PRICE”.
I agree that St Joseph is a wonderful role model for men and young boys even without these alleged apparitions. Another globetrotting “seer” is all we need right now.
Me, too. I don’t like the sound of this new “seer” so I think it’s better to stick with the traditional prayers and devotions. If he’s travelling all over and having the “apparitions” that doesn’t sound like St Joseph to me. He was very humble and self-effacing on this earth, so why would he appear all the time like that after his death? It doesn’t make sense, so I don’t believe it, approved by the local bishop or not.
The more I look into this, the more it concerns me. It seems like Glauber is trying to mimic traditional Catholic devotions, but just adding a new twist to them. Instead of the First Fridays and Saturdays, he is pushing a devotion of the First Wednesdays which he claims was revealed to him. He also visited Aylesford in 2000 and here he claims to have had a vision of the Holy Family and was shown a white scapular with the three hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on it. A year later on the 16th July 2001, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the 750th anniversary of the Brown Scapular apparition to St Simon Stock, Glauber claims Our Lady appeared to him again in Italy, and told him that this white scapular was the scapular of St Joseph, and that “My son Jesus and I want everyone to use it with faith and love, honouring deeply My Husband Joseph as he deserves”. http://www.santuariodeitapiranga.com.br/devoção-a-s-josé/o-escapulario.html
What about the Brown Scapular then? If Jesus and Mary want ‘everyone’ to wear the new scapular, are we to stop using the Brown Scapular – one of the most richly indulgenced sacramentals in the Church which has the approbation of countless Popes, in favour of this new scapular which – as far as I can see – has no ecclesiastical approval whatsoever? Will people set aside their Brown Scapulars in favour of this one? Will those not yet enrolled in the Brown Scapular come across this new one beforehand and be enrolled in it? It would appear that imposition of this new scapular is taking place at venues where Edson Glauber is appearing. This website contains a French poster showing that the imposition of the new scapular is part of the Glauber event: http://saint-joseph.fr/2015/09/temoignage-dedson-glauber (scroll down the page a bit). All very worrying.
Pope John Paul II made a speech which was reported in the 18th September 1996 edition of L’Osservatore Romano. He stated: “Some members of the People of God are not rooted firmly enough in the Faith, so that the sects, with their deceptive proselytism, mislead them to separate themselves from true communion in Christ. Within the Church community, the multiplication of supposed “apparitions” or “visions” is sowing confusion and reveals a certain lack of solid basis to the faith and Christian life among her members.” 20 years later, the Church is still suffering from the ‘signs and wonders’ brigade. More than ever now, we need to ‘hold fast to that which is good’ and shun all religious novelties.
Westminster Fly,
That’s a fabulous post. I love the quote from Pope JP II. I suppose we’ll keep getting this sort of stuff until the crisis is over. Thanks for being so clear.
WF,
I agree with Lily – that is one fab post! Thank you for keeping us informed. The business of the “new” (of course!) scapular with no mention of the Brown, is very telling. So, again, many thanks for your vigilance. Much appreciated.
Comments are closed.