NEW Holy Medal for St Joseph: Custos Redemptoris; Custos Familiae

St Joseph: faithful, prayerful, obedient, humble and just

St Joseph is a silent figure in the Bible. All we know about St Joseph is that he was a righteous man (Matthew 1:18). He was empathetic, just and humble, graciously excusing Mary, even when he didn’t know or understand the truth of her conception of Jesus, with the Holy Spirit.

He was faith-filled, prayerful, and obedient to the messages he received in his dreams to take Mary as his wife and to flee as necessary to protect his family.

During the Year of St. Joseph, comprised of most of 2021, Pope Francis approved seven new titles
for St. Joseph:

Custos Redemptoris: Guardian of the Redeemer

Serve Christi: Servant of Christ

Minister Salutis: Minister of Salvation

Fulcimen in Difficultatibus: Support in Difficulties

Patrone Exsulum: Patron of Exiles

Patrone Afflictorum: Patron of the Afflicted

Patrone Pauperum: Patron of the Poor

St Joseph: Foster Father of Jesus, Protector of the Holy Family…and all families!

While St. Joseph has been recognized as the patron of the Universal Church, unborn children, Fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants, and a happy death, he is most uniquely known as the Foster Father of Jesus and the Protector of the Holy Family.

After having adopted the special Devotion of the Cloak of St Joseph back in 2021, I cling to St Joseph’s intercession as a Protector of the family…and in particular my family.

A NEW Holy Medal for St Joseph

I’ve always appreciated the St Benedict medal, reflecting my attachment since childhood to Oxford, Michigan’s community of Benedictine monks. I also secretly wished there was a similar-style St. Joseph medal, reflecting St. Joseph’s virtues and his protection of the family.

…soooo, I designed this Holy Medal and I’m eager to let other St. Joseph fans see it!

I sorted through all the titles and invocations of St. Joseph and settled on my favorite two: Guardian of the Redeemer (thanks, Pope Francis) and Guardian of the Family: the family that is the Universal Church and all the families including my own.

St. Joseph enjoyed a happy death, surrounded by Jesus and Mary, he didn’t experience the crucifixion of Jesus this side of Heaven. He did, however, help to influence and form Jesus in his humanity with all of those classic St Joseph virtues, helping to prepare Jesus for His Ultimate Sacrifice; death on the cross.

I designed the cross at the center of the medal as two overlapping carpenter squares, reminding us of
St. Joseph’s patience, precision, gentleness, and humility.
Behind the cross are three lilies. The lily is the flower associated with St. Joseph for his virtues of integrity, chastity and purity. The three lilies remind me of the Holy Family: St Joseph, Mother Mary, and Jesus.

The words around the perimeter of the circle are of course the Latin translation of Guardian of the Redeemer and Guardian of the Family.