Conseration to St. Joseph
A Higher Purpose
Grow in masculine virtue and strengthen the lives of men on your campus. College councils will invite both council members and the community at large to consecrate themselves to St. Joseph and to dedicate themselves to the ideal model that he set.
Overview
To help men on campus live out the joy of Christ, and to provide all members of the college community with examples of virtue, prudence and leadership, councils are called to lead their communities in a consecration to St. Joseph. By this act of consecration, we ask for the aid and intercession of the foster father of Jesus Christ, St. Joseph, who serves as a true model for every man. Preparing for the Consecration to St. Joseph is not a single event, it is choosing a way of life for oneself. Through this act, each participant consciously chooses to be a beacon of God’s love through the Church and to hold himself and his brothers to the standard established by St. Joseph, Chaste Protector of the Virgin, Defender of the Universal Church and Terror of Demons.
Required Program
A college council must conduct this required program in the Family category to be eligible to receive the Columbian Award.
Action Steps
- Working with your chaplain, obtain his recommendations on conducting a Consecration to St. Joseph.
- Ensure that the event is fully approved by your chaplain and campus student activities office.
- In conjunction with your chaplain, set a Sunday for the consecration and announce it a month before the official day.
- Order a supplies for the event, including enough copies of the Consecration to St. Joseph Prayer Card (#10679) to be distributed at all Masses on two weekends, using the College Council Supply Order Form (#10769).
- Distribute Consecration to St. Joseph Prayer Cards (#10679) and Preparing for a Consecration (#10677) at all Masses the week before the consecration. Place more prayer cards in your chapel/church and campus ministry office.
- Although the formal consecration should occur at all Masses on a chosen Sunday, serious and mindful preparation for at least a week prior is a major aspect of this program. To ensure that all members of your parish are fully participating and readying themselves for the consecration, consult Preparing for a Consecration (#10677). In addition, your council should consider promoting the following activities:
- Asking your pastor to make an announcement at all Sunday Masses the week before the consecration. Ask him to explain what a consecration is, why it is being undertaken and how to properly prepare.
- Suggesting that people join with the council to pray together each day for the week before the consecration. Ideally, this will lead them to continue the practice, at least on a weekly basis, after the consecration has occurred.
- Encouraging each participant to intentionally fast from something ahead of the consecration. This fast should last at least a week leading up to the consecration. It is strongly encouraged to fast from something that would normally be consumed or an activity that is regularly done. Fasting helps to discipline our minds and hearts and moves us to be more focused on God.
- Strongly encouraging all participants to go to confession before the consecration.
- Hosting an event in the middle of the week prior to the Sunday consecration. One idea for this event is to invite a guest speaker to discuss St. Joseph, his role as the model of masculinity, the meaning and impact of consecrations or related themes. Be sure to set aside time at your event for prayer in community. Consider praying the Litany of St. Joseph together and be sure to recite the consecration prayer together in preparation.
- Build public interest! Promote the Consecration to St. Joseph in your council and larger community through a variety of efforts:
- Posting on your council website / social media pages
- Prominently display promotional posters (which can be ordered using the College Council Supply Order Form (#10769))
- Pulpit announcements (see Action Step #6)
- Bulletin announcements
- On the day of the consecration, distribute Consecration to St. Joseph Prayer Cards (#10679) once again. Under the direction of your chaplain, recite the Consecration to St. Joseph prayers together at Sunday Mass. If he is willing, ask your chaplain to also incorporate themes relating to the Consecration and St. Joseph in his homily.
- Following the consecration, host an event for all participants to celebrate together! Remind all present that this consecration has a lasting impact. Although the time of preparation has ended and the consecration has occurred, devotion to St. Joseph continues, and we should always strive to resemble his ideal model of holiness and masculine virtue.
- At the celebration event, be sure to wear Knights of Columbus-branded apparel and have the council membership director set up a table with brochures and membership documents (including Prospect Cards (#921A) and Online Membership ‘Why Join?’ Brochures (#10537)). Do not forget that this event is a recruiting opportunity!
- Enlist a fellow Knight or community member to photograph the event.
- Following the event, update the campus and larger community on the success of your program by distributing an announcement to local media (particularly your student paper), along with energizing photographs from the event.
- To gain credit for your program, complete the associated reporting forms and submit them to the Supreme Council Department of Fraternal Mission. Remember to retain copies for your council records.
