WAUNAKEE — An icon of St. Joseph will be the centerpiece of a special prayer service at St. John the Baptist Parish, 209 South St., Waunakee, on Saturday, March 19, at 8 a.m.
The prayer service, flowing from the Year of St. Joseph declared by Pope Francis in 2021, and inspired by his apostolic letter Patris Corde, is sponsored by Knights of Columbus Father Nellen Council 6371 to honor St. Joseph and pray for his intercession in preserving, cultivating, and passing on the Catholic faith to future generations.
All members of the community are encouraged to join and pray.
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly chose to entrust his service as Supreme Knight to St. Joseph and through this Pilgrim Icon Program, encourage Knights and their communities to “turn in prayer to St. Joseph, give thanks to God for the gift of fatherly example, and ask St. Joseph to be a father to us” as we seek to “grow in our own imitation of St. Joseph’s quiet strength, integrity, and fidelity.”
The St. Joseph icon is the latest icon to be a part of the Knights of Columbus Pilgrim Icon Program.
Every few years, the Knights of Columbus selects an icon of a saint whose patronage is particularly inspiring to Knights and their communities to be featured in the program.
The icons travel from council to council and serve as the centerpieces for prayer services in parishes throughout the Order.
Since its inception in 1979, the program has held more than 174,800 local council and parish prayer services with some 22 million participants.