Saint Joseph, the third member of the Holy Family, is often overlooked, possibly because of absence in the adult life and mission of his wife Mary’s son Jesus Christ. The Bible describes his presence in the life of Jesus as a child but he becomes a peripheral figure in his later life. The last time Saint Joseph appears in the New Testament is at the feast of the Passover in the temple when Jesus is 12 years old, and after that he disappears, he is neither present at the Wedding in Canna or the Passion at the end.
Saint Joseph’s limited presence in the New Testament, however doesn’t mean he is totally forgotten by Christians. In Catholic Countries, on the 19th March, his feast day, is also known as Father’s Day. The carpenter, noble spirited, putative father of Jesus has become a figurehead for fatherhood and celebrated as such.