Latest / Catholic Spirit Radio / Catholic Conversations #197: Caring for the Dying: The Pious Union of St. Joseph Explained

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Catholic Conversations #197: Caring for the Dying: The Pious Union of St. Joseph Explained · Catholic Spirit Radio

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Catholic Conversations on Catholic Spirit Radio.
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Good day and welcome to Catholic Conversations. I'm your host, David Liptak.
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Wherever you may be, I hope we can bring a change of pace to your day,
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to go where the Spirit leads us, where the Catholic faith has found a way to
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break through, to shine a light for all,
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or to whisper and be a grain of salt that can make ever so subtle change in
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the lives of those we may touch.
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We are fortunate to have this platform on Catholic Spirit Radio that can reach so many every week.
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We're glad you're here. Let's get started.
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We're going to start with a prayer. I usually start with the Memorare,
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but in honor of the Feast Day of St.
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Joseph that we just celebrated last week, I'd like to go ahead and start with a prayer to St. Joseph.
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
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O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the
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throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.
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O St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession and obtain for me from
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your divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ our Lord,
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so that, having engaged here below your heavenly power,
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I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most loving of fathers.
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O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms.
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I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart.
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Press him in my name and kiss his fine head for me and ask him to return the
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kiss when I draw my dying breath.
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St. Joseph, painters say to departing souls, pray for me.
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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So, as I mentioned, last week the Church celebrated the great solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19th.
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Since March is dedicated to him, we're spending this hour getting to know the
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most chaste spouse and learning how to entrust ourselves to this powerful saint's intercessions.
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So, joining us from Michigan is Fr.
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Leo Joseph, the pastor-director of the Shrine of St.
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Joseph in Grass Lake, Michigan, which also serves as the national headquarters
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for the Pious Union of St. Joseph.
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So, welcome, Father. Glad to have you here.
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Thank you so much, Mr. David, for having me in your radio show.
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All the pleasure is indeed mine. I appreciate you go ahead and making the time for us today.
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So, Father, the association or the spiritual association was founded by St.
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Louis Guinella, correct?
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Yeah. Okay. This goes back about how many years? Can you enlighten us a little bit on that?
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Yeah, absolutely. I can talk about who is St. Louis Guinella,
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and then I give you the full background about the Pisces and the Truth. Okay.
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Well, let's do this. I kind of jumped the gun. I apologize. Why don't we go
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ahead and give us a little background on how you became the pastor director of the Shrine?
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Okay, wonderful. I am Father Leo Joseph Xavier. I am originally from India.
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I was ordained in 2013 and before becoming a priest, while I was about to make
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my final commitment on 2013, March 24th, I was told by my major superior,
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Leo, we are preparing you to send to America to the Pison of St.
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Joseph. So I said, well, it's a very long journey.
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I don't know how I'm going to make it. I said, but they gave me, not immediately,
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but you'll be given two years to prepare yourself mentally and then some sort
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of orientation like a missiology course to attend to know about the culture,
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language and everything.
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So I made my final commitment. And for two years, I was in India after my ordination.
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And then I went under the course called Missiology in India to know more about
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the language, the culture, and everything.
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And then I was kicked out to say, to go and sell the Piusen of St.
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Joseph, praying for suffering on the dying people. That's how I ended up here.
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So I came in the year 2016.
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I was an assistant to be an assistant pastor here. And then I took over on 2018.
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Until now, I am continuing my responsibility as a pastoral director of the shrine.
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So, that's relatively recent as far as 2018 is concerned, just a handful of years.
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So over the course of your tenure here,
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what have you gained, what have you learned about the pastorship and the directorship
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of this particular shrine? What has it meant to you?
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This is something very more personal and a unique shrine that is dedicated to
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St. Joseph, patron for suffering and dying.
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And here I experience a lot to say I have more time to pray and I receive more
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calls from the hospitals and also from nursing homes and some houses.
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They call and they ask me to go come and pray for the suffering and dying people
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and to give the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.
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Also, do the funeral masses here at the shrine, including the Gregorian masses
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and all other masses here at the shrine.
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So, also celebrate masses on requests on other parishes inside and outside the Michigan too.
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And also, I do promote the Pison of St.
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Joseph to know more about this shrine and what is important for suffering and dying.
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So, particularly, I would like to
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mention one heart-touching quote from my founder named St. Louis Gonala.
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He said, there is a need for living well, but there is a greater need for dying well.
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So, that really touched my heart to immerse myself in this responsibility of
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caring for the suffering and dying people.
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It sounds like you've got a full plate, not only from the shrine,
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but from the general area and
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all the other parishes for the sick and the dying that you're caring for.
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You mentioned the patron saint, Saint Gorilla, is that right?
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Yes. St. Louis, Galera. Okay. Can you tell us a little bit more about how he
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became the patron saint and how it ties to this particular shrine?
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And we'll get into the union after that, okay?
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Yeah, sure. Thank you. You're welcome. A famous and notable son of Campodulcino
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in Italy was St. Louis, Guanella.
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And he was the ninth of 13 children born to Lawrence and Maria,
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Guanella on December 19, 1842.
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The family was poor, but respected and devoted to their religious beliefs and practices.
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He had, it appears, a normal childhood for the times.
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He entered the seminary when he was 12 years old and was ordained in 1866.
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From 1875 until 1878, he assisted Don Bosco, famous for his care of homeless syndrome.
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So during much of Father Guanala's lifetime, Italy was in a state of political unrest.
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Numerous laws were passed by the anti-clerics and socialists restricting and
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suppressing the works of the church.
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Father Guanala continued his works of ministering to the homeless,
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poor, orphans and handicapped.
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He was a friend and a contemporary of Pope Pius X, often appealing to him to help in his works.
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To continue his work, he founded two religious orders, the Servants of Charity
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and the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence.
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Both groups are still at work in Italy, the United States and other countries.
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And Father Guanella came to the United States in 1912 to investigate the plight
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of the Italian immigrants.
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While in Chicago, he attempted to visit Genoa, Wisconsin, and to visit his older
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friends and relatives, but was unable to fit in a visit.
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Father Guanala died on October 24, 1915.
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His lifelong devotion to charity and good works were recognized by the church,
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and he was beatified on October 24, 1964, and canonized on October 23, 2011.
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And the Pius Union was born from the heart of St.
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Louis, Guanala. It was in his heart and mind for a long time that he had an
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experience while he was a seminarian during vacation, visiting the sick,
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suffering, dying, and assisting the elderly.
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St. Louis Guadalajara was a very close friend of Pope Pius X.
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On his request, he started the Pius Union and erected the Basilica dedicated to St.
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Joseph, patron for the suffering and dying. Under the protection of Pope St.
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Pius X, who sponsored this project, Fr.
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Guanola began in 1909 to build a church in Rome named for St.
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Joseph and dedicated on March 19, 1912.
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Today, it is a minor basilica. When the construction was complete, he confided to St.
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Pius X his desire to establish an association of devotees to St.
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Joseph, who pray each day for his intercession for the benefit of the suffering
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and dying. Your idea has been inspired by God, said the Pope.
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We ourselves wanted to suggest it to you.
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We will be the first to be enrolled in this great crusade of prayer.
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Canonically recognized on February 12, 1914, the Piusune of St.
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Joseph for the salvation of
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the dying was declared a primary uncertainty by Pope St. Pius X. He wrote.
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We desire to make known how much we appreciate this most praiseworthy association,
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and we wish our name to be the first inscribed among the members of the same,
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exhorting all our dear brothers in the priesthood, not to forget the dying each
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day in the divine sacrifice.
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We likewise exhort all the faithful, and especially religious,
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to accustom themselves to raise up special prayers to God and to St.
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Joseph in favor of the dying.
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Father Guanajuato felt deeply, as I said before, there is a need to live well,
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but there is even a greater need to die well.
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A peaceful death is everything, especially today, when people value only material
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things and earthly enjoyments rejecting eternal values.
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Today we have more than 30,000 members in the U.S.
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Who belong to the Paisoon of St. Joseph and pray daily to protect the suffering and dying.
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This is the only Paisoon of St. Joseph in the United States of America.
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That's amazing. 30,000. And you're talking about the formation,
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essentially back 1914. Is that what you mentioned?
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So roughly 100 years to go ahead and gain more than 30,000 members that are
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active today to go ahead and offer the prayers for the sick and the dying.
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So, now, help me to understand, I think you also mentioned, or if I read right,
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that you also have a Manage Magazine. Is that correct, Father?
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Yes, Now and the Hour Magazine. Now and the Hour.
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Okay, well, you've got to help me out here. How did you manage to go ahead and
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find time to start, publish,
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create, and manage a magazine with all your other duties that you have responsibilities as a director?
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Yes. Well, we publish 13,000 copies of a bi-monthly magazine called The Now
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and The Hour that circulates around the world.
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And then we send them based on requests too. The magazine consists of articles
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on different topics, especially on St.
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Joseph, current events of the time, testimonies, servants of charity missions,
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articles by the Pope, guanilean apostolic works, gift-to-shop information, etc.
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And you can request the magazine by mail or phone to the Shrine office or read
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online or on the Shrine website for the subscription of the magazine.
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Our donations are also accepted. Okay. I was going to ask you,
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so you could actually subscribe to it.
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It can be mailed to you, but you also have the opportunity of subscribing as
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well on the website. Is that correct? Yes.
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Outstanding. So you've got somebody has to go ahead and manage a website too.
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Now, Father, do you manage the website as well?
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Oh, I have a secretary here. She manages. Good for you.
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I was figuring you only had 24 hours in a day. I wasn't sure how you were going
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to go ahead and manage your website as well.
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So now you did bring up something that I found very interesting early on about Gregorian masses.
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Can you give us a little insight of how the masses were developed as far as
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Gregorian masses are concerned?
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And what prompted you to go ahead and incorporate those masses?
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Okay. Gregorian Masses are 30 consecutive Masses to be offered by the priests
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only for the diseased loved ones.
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So one series of Gregorian Masses for one diseased soul.
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It was started by St. Gregory the Great.
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We offer these Gregorian Masses and we believe that our beloved souls are released
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from the deadly sins and purgatory.
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Many ask us to celebrate Gregorian Masses for themselves,
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for their intentions Whereas it is celebrated only for the diseased loved ones
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and not for the living I see Yeah,
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and since we receive numerous Gregorian Masses We send the Gregorian Masses
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to the overseas missionary priests And the donation is used for their mission activities Peace.
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Once the Gregorian Masses are booked at the Shrine, without any doubt,
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the Gregorian Masses are celebrated within two months.
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And you can request them online at pusj.org.
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Click on Masses. We also provide individual Masses, Sridhar of Masses for three
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days, and Novena of Masses nine consecutive days for living or disease.
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And you can enroll your diseased loved ones here in our golden book and perpetual
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masses on every first Friday of the month here at the shrine.
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If you have lost a child, they can be enrolled in our book of innocence and
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mass on every 16th of the month here at the shrine.
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To say, mass is the most powerful gift you can give someone.
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So give the gift of a Mass for the sick and dying, a birthday,
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Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, or a conversion.
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Wonderful opportunities to go ahead and have the blessing of a Mass being said
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for our deceased loved ones.
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And I didn't realize that you'd have the availability of being able to disperse those worldwide.
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Well, Father, if you could hang on just a second here, we're going to take a
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quick break and we'll come back. I'd like to go ahead and find out how we can become a member of.
16:51
Of this union. So we'll address that when we come right back.
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Welcome back to Catholic Conversations. Dave Liptak here, and we're to have
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the pleasure of our guest, Father Leo Joseph, the pastor director of the Shrine
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of St. Joseph in Grass Lake, Michigan.
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As we mentioned before, it is also the national headquarters for the Pious Union of St.
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Joseph. And as we went to break, I was going to ask Father, how does one become
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a member of this Pious Union of St.
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Joseph? and are there any specific requirements of us to go ahead and become a member, Father?
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Sure. It's very simple to become a member of the Pison of St. Joseph.
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So go on to the Shrine website, cusj.org.
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As you scroll down, hit Become a Member button and gives us your details.
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Or you can call the Shrine office at,
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517-522-8017. The secretary will assist you to become a member of the Piusen of St. Joseph.
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And donations are accepted. For more information and other events,
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visit our Shrine website also on the Facebook page, Pius Union or Shrine of St. Joseph.
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So once you become a member, it is
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obligatory to say the following prayer for the
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suffering and dying please the prayer is yeah it's a
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very simple prayer O Saint Joseph Pastor
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Father of Jesus Christ and true spouse
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of the Virgin Mary pray for us and for
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the suffering and the dying of this day or night Saint Joseph pray for us that's
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it that's a very simple prayer and once we become the member the mass intentions
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on every Wednesday will be offered for all the members of the Piusen of St.
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Joseph, followed by Adoration and Divine Mercy Chaplet with Benediction at the Shrine.
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All are most welcome to participate physically or spiritually or through the social media.
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And the sole commitment of membership is to pray daily for the benefit of the
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suffering and dying, trusting in the intercession of St. Joseph.
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Moreover, you can be assured that you too will be given the grace of a happy
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death when you pray for the dying.
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Now, more than ever, it's important to pray for the suffering,
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pray for the dying and diseased.
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We all need to pray for one another.
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St. Joseph is the patron of the suffering and dying.
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Thousands of people die every day because of wars, hurricanes,
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fires, and natural disasters.
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And your prayer can help them reach God.
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This is a phenomenal opportunity. And at least in my estimation,
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it sounds very simple to go ahead.
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And you've made it very simple to go ahead and become a member of this particular union.
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And to go and offer prayers, and wouldn't everyone love to have prayers said
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for one when one is on their deathbed,
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expecting to go and face our Lord and our final judgment? God bless you,
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Father. That's wonderful.
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Thank you. So let me back up a little bit and get your opinion,
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your insights, if you would, to get a little bit to know about our patron saint of St. Joseph.
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Why do you think the church would give an entire month, let alone just a feast
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day, but to go ahead and give an entire month of March to our patron saint, St. Joseph?
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Well, in my personal opinion, Please. St.
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Joseph needs to be invoked more, especially he has a beautiful title,
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as we celebrated last week, the sovereignty of St.
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Joseph, the husband of Blessed Virgin Mary.
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Okay? So this month, as we remember him, we also need to pray for all the husbands.
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Okay? So all the husbands should take St. Joseph as the role model.
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As we say, no, for every son or daughter, who is your role model?
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We always say, dad is a role model, or he's a superstar, we tell them.
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So similarly, every husband has to say, my role model is St. Joseph.
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Because although the scripture doesn't even record not even a single word spoken by St.
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Joseph, where his silent obedience made the remarkable in the Christian history.
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And at the same time, St. Joseph is just a normal man. He was just a carpenter.
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And also how God chose him to become a very simple carpenter,
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to become the son of the Redeemer.
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It is an amazing thing. So, to say God doesn't look for any extraordinary things in our life.
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And He always looks for some very simple, ordinary experiences in our life.
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So, in this month of March, also we began already our Lenten journey.
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So, we also need to walk with Jesus.
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Not only Mother Mary, everyone has to walk like St.
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Joseph. okay along walking along with Jesus in this London season and then we
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think when you look in the Bible Joseph had no GPS at the time no cell phones
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no maps right no exactly right yeah yet.
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Whenever the angel appeared in his dream and, hey, Joseph, get up,
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go there, walk this side, go over there.
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Of course, St. Joseph, he doesn't have any words to say, but he totally entrusted
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himself in God's providence.
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And he followed the God's providence and led the way.
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So there was no clarity in his mind, nothing on his journey.
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So he just trusted in God. So similarly,
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in this month, I would request and encourage all the husbands,
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all the husbands in the family, when you have struggles, when you have problems
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in your family, when you have nothing is going on in your mind,
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when you don't have clarity,
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please go to St. Joseph.
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He will talk to you. You just look at him, gaze at him, and he will lead you
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and guide you. So, this is my personal opinion about why the church has specifically
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dedicated her this month to St. Joseph.
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That's fantastic. How wonderful, Father. I appreciate that insight.
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You know, I can't help but you were mentioning about the silent follower.
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He accepted his role, but he was also very strong in his convictions.
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When he had to go and pick up his family and move and go, he did so.
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And he made no qualms about it. He picked up and went to Egypt,
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came back, basically a refugee in a far-off land for sure.
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But, and as far as the Holy Family is together, to go ahead and have an example,
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I think that our Lord and Savior probably had a pretty good role model in St.
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Joseph, would you say? Yeah.
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So, excuse me, with regards to the shrine, how did the shrine come about there in Michigan?
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Well, as my religious order began in northern Italy,
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so we have our Italian priest came here and started our shrine,
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came here to start our mission.
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So our mission consists of four important responsibilities given by my founders and Luis Guanala.
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One, primarily, first mission is for...
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People with IDD, intellectual developmental disabilities. And that's the first mission.
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Second, for the elderly, the suffering and dying.
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And third, for the orphans. And finally, the pastor care. So we do four different missions.
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And one of our older priests from Italy, he came here in the year 1980s.
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And then he was just going by in the car. And he wanted to start a shrine for
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the suffering and dying.
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And while he was looking for the good property to start, suddenly his eyes got
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struck in one of the barns here.
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So it was a very old barn. And he himself thought, why can't we start a shrine
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here dedicated to St. Joseph, a parent who was suffering and dying?
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Because St. Joseph was a carpenter and Jesus was born in a manger.
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So, incorporating with that, he dismantled the old bond, and then he just renovated the bond.
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So, even today, if you see in our website, too, the bond is transformed into a church.
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And, I'm sorry, what year was this established? I'm sorry.
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Okay. It was established in the year 1983. We just started in 1983, 87, towards 87.
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And then, after that, the construction began, and then finally the church was
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dedicated and opened to public on June 18, 2000.
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2000. Wow. So, it's a relatively new shrine then?
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Yes, absolutely. So, respectfully, what type of, as far as visitors are concerned,
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what have you seen as far as the progression? Have you seen a greater increase
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over the course of time since the opening of the shrine? Are more people becoming aware of this?
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Yes, absolutely, because we reach through our magazine.
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That's a first priority, as I said, and then our magazine.
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Also, we also publish about some of the events that are happening in the shrine, too.
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And as the director of the shrine, my primary responsibility is to promote the
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Piusen of St. Joseph. as far.
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Especially here at the shrine, I celebrate Mass every day and hear confessions
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every day before and after Mass and upon request,
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and with seeing the sick and the elderly upon request for Holy Communion and
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anointing of the sick, and also I write articles in the magazine,
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as I said, and moreover, I also have,
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promoting the devotion of St. Joseph through the traveling St.
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Joseph Kitta and the animating talks and retreats for evangelization and working
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on projects for the development of the shrine.
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And one of the recent projects that I helped complete here at the shrine was the Holy Rosary Walk.
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And the goal of this project was to place life-size marble statues representing
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the mysteries of the Rosary around the Shrine with audio reflections and prayers.
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And the statues are arranged chronologically to help people journey through
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the lives of our Lord and His Blessed Mother.
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And the dedication was held on September 15, 2025 in the Jubilee Year of the Church.
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And the mysteries follow the unique design of the Shrine's parking lot shaped
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like the womb of a mother, standing
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as a powerful sign in support of the pro-life mission of the church.
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In addition to that, we also have a good grotto and the outdoor stations of
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the cross with audio reflections and prayers, and we also have the Shrine Calvary,
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and masses are celebrated at the Shrine Calvary during summer.
31:00
So these are the ways that I draw people to the Shrine.
31:05
My goodness, you've got all kinds of activities and opportunities for prayers,
31:11
devotions, I would imagine retreats.
31:14
And I presume that you can go on your website again and get a listing of those
31:21
available opportunities for us to come and pray at the Shrine?
31:25
Yes, absolutely. The sign opens from morning 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
31:31
Okay. That's a long day for you, Father. Are you open year-round as well?
31:36
Yes. So, 365 days a year.
31:40
Absolutely, 365 days a year. I am all around, yeah, it's always open.
31:44
Poor father doesn't even get a day off. My goodness, father.
31:47
And he works 12 hours a day, every day of the year. God bless you, father.
31:52
Thank you. Not only at the shrine, but at some of the surrounding parishes,
31:56
as well as visiting the sick and the dying.
32:00
Holy cow. Now, speaking of, with regards to various prayers and devotions for, say,
32:09
our loved ones, do you have any recommendations as far as what kind of prayers
32:13
and devotions that we should be offering for those that are approaching death?
32:18
Yeah, absolutely. For example, when someone we love is nearing the end of life, words often fail us.
32:28
Yet faith gently reminds us we are not powerless. We can still love,
32:34
still pray, still accompany.
32:36
In these sacred moments, prayer becomes our way of holding their hand when we
32:42
cannot take away the sufferings.
32:44
So based on my experience, I come up with some important six to seven points
32:50
of how can we recommend for someone who has a loved one approaching death and
32:56
how can families remain spiritually present.
32:59
The number one step is about the prayer of presence.
33:04
So before any words, the most powerful gift is being there.
33:09
Sit quietly. Hold their hand. Let them feel they are not alone.
33:15
Even silent presence becomes prayer when offered with love.
33:20
Speak softly, not to explain death, but to remind them, you are loved, God is near.
33:28
And the second is the holy name of Jesus. So encourage a simple repeated prayer
33:34
like, Jesus, I trust in you.
33:37
Jesus, have mercy. At the end of life, long prayers can be difficult,
33:42
but the name of Jesus is enough.
33:44
It becomes a bridge between this world and eternity.
33:49
And third, the rosary or a gentle Marian prayer.
33:53
So praying a decade of the rosary, especially the sorrowful mysteries,
33:58
helps families remain spiritually united. Even if the dying person cannot respond,
34:04
they are often deeply consoled by,
34:08
Familiar prayers. So, like Mary stood at the cross.
34:13
So, she knows how to accompany suffering with tenderness. Gotcha.
34:18
I'm sure. Well, hang on one second there, Father, if you would.
34:22
I hate to go ahead and break in on this. I certainly want to go ahead and finish
34:25
your seven points, but I'm asked to go ahead and take a short break here,
34:31
and we'll come back with Father Leo Joseph here.
34:34
And explore the prayers and devotions as we, with our loved ones, approaching death.
34:40
We'll be right back to Catholic Conversations. You're listening to Catholic
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Welcome back to Catholic Conversations. I'm your host, David Liptack,
37:28
and we've got the pleasure of chatting with Fr.
37:32
Leo Joseph, the pastor and director of the Pious Union of St. Joseph and Shrine.
37:39
Fr. Joseph certainly keeps himself busy, I'll tell you that.
37:43
We were in the process of going through six to seven points of prayers and devotions
37:49
that Father was recommending for our loved ones as they approached death,
37:55
as well as how our family can be spiritually present in the act of this opportunity.
38:02
So, Father, if you'd be kind enough to go ahead and continue,
38:04
I think we were just finishing up on the recommendation of the Rosary and the
38:10
Sourful Mysteries, and you were moving on from there.
38:13
Please, if you would. Yes, absolutely.
38:16
We are in the fourth point, as I said.
38:18
The fourth one is about to invoke St. Joseph, patron of a happy death.
38:23
So turn with confidence to St. Joseph, who died in the arms of Jesus and Mary.
38:29
His intercession is especially powerful in these moments. A simple prayer, St.
38:35
Joseph, patron of a happy death, be near us now.
38:39
Accompany our loved one and lead them gently to Jesus.
38:43
Just some very few phrases, that's all. This devotion replaces fear with quiet trust.
38:50
We remember that death in faith is not abandonment, it is a homecoming.
38:57
And the fifth point is about reading the psalm, okay, like Psalm 23rd,
39:03
or the prayer of condemnation by the priest, okay, like the Lord is my shepherd,
39:08
there is nothing I shall want.
39:10
So this really brings deep peace.
39:12
And the church prayer of commendation, even in a simple form,
39:17
enters the soul to God's mercy. So these prayers help families shift from anxiety to surrender.
39:25
And the sixth one is about the sacrament. If possible, invite a priest for the
39:31
anointing of the sick, confession, and viaticum, that's a holy communion for the journey.
39:38
So these are not last rituals, but sacraments of strength and hope.
39:43
So they remind everyone present that Christ himself is accompanying the final journey.
39:51
And finally, the seventh point, remaining spiritually present as a family.
39:55
So families remain spiritually present not by saying perfect things,
40:00
but by loving faithfully, speak forgiveness and gratitude,
40:06
avoid fear-filled conversations, and create a peaceful atmosphere like a soft
40:11
prayer, sacred music, crucifix nearby.
40:15
So, and offer the moment to God together. And you might say aloud,
40:21
Lord, we place everything in your hands.
40:24
We trust your mercy.
40:27
And at the end, a final word of hope, like accompanying someone at the end of
40:32
life is one of the most sacred ministries we can live.
40:36
It teaches us that love is stronger than fear and that death is not the end
40:43
of the story When we pray for the dying,
40:46
we become witness of hope Standing at the threshold between earth and heaven
40:51
Believing that God's mercy is already waiting on the other side And in those quiet moments,
40:59
we can rest in this truth No one who dies in God's love dies alone St.
41:06
Joseph walks with them Jesus receives them and love remains forever.
41:13
How beautiful How beautiful What a wonderful experience to be able to be present
41:19
in a circumstance of that nature when you are having a loved one that is a near-death
41:25
circumstance like that That's wonderful, Father Now, I'm going to,
41:29
With regards to the points that you had just mentioned, I would imagine that
41:35
you might have some interesting examples of people or witnesses that may have
41:41
gone through these seven points,
41:44
and maybe they've got a story that they've related to you, or maybe you've even
41:48
been present to go ahead and be witness to these particular family members during
41:53
the course of their loved one in the passing. Can you share some of that with us?
41:58
Absolutely. I have so many experiences, but I picked out some of the important
42:03
things that will be really worth sharing to you, everyone. Thank you.
42:08
You're welcome. One of the greatest privileges of my ministry is akamai in the dying.
42:12
And I can say with deep conviction that prayer truly changes the atmosphere of those final moments.
42:21
It does not always remove the sorrow, but it gently transforms the fear into peace.
42:28
So once I went to celebrate Mass at the hospice center.
42:32
After Mass, as I was returning home, I received a call from the same hospice.
42:37
They said, Father Leo, a man is dying. He needs the anointing and last rites.
42:43
I immediately turned back.
42:45
When I entered his room, the dying man was surrounded by his family.
42:50
They gently told him, Father Leo is here.
42:53
As soon as he saw me, the first thing he asked was, How are you, Father Leo?
43:01
I was speechless. I thought to myself, my friend, you are about to meet the Lord at any moment.
43:08
How is it possible that you are asking me this question?
43:12
But I simply replied, I am fine. And then I asked him, how are you?
43:18
Do you know what he said? I am very fine.
43:22
He said it with a smile and a quiet joy on his face. Throughout the entire ride,
43:28
he held my hands until I completed the prayers.
43:32
It was one of those sacred moments that remind me that deep faith brings a peace
43:38
the world cannot understand, even in the final moments of life.
43:43
The other experience is, I remember visiting an elderly man in the hospital
43:48
who had been restless for hours.
43:51
His family stood around him, anxious and unsure what to do.
43:56
When I arrived, we simply began with the name of Jesus, slowly repeating,
44:03
Jesus, have mercy. Jesus, we trust in you.
44:06
Within minutes, his breathing calmed, his face softened.
44:11
The room, which had felt heavy, became quiet and sacred.
44:17
One of his daughters later whispered, Father, it felt like heaven entered the
44:22
room. So moments like that remind me that prayer is not just words, it is presence.
44:30
And in another case, a family was struggling with unresolved tensions.
44:36
There had been hurt, distance, unspoken regrets.
44:40
As we gathered around the dying mother, I invited them to hold her hands and
44:47
speak simple words. Thank you.
44:50
Forgive me. I love you. Then we prayed together and entrusted her to God's mercy.
44:57
Tears flowed, but they were healing tears.
45:01
Afterward, the family said that prayer gave them something medicine could not
45:06
give, reconciliation and peace.
45:09
I have also seen the powerful role of St. Joseph, patron of a happy death.
45:14
So many times, when families feel afraid of what lies ahead, invoking St.
45:21
Joseph brings unexpected calm. There have been moments when we prayed, St.
45:28
Joseph, be near, and the dying person seemed to surrender more peacefully as
45:34
if they were no longer afraid to let go.
45:37
It is a quiet grace, but very real.
45:40
What moves me most is how prayer helps families as much as the dying.
45:47
It gives them something sacred to do. Instead of feeling helpless,
45:52
they become companions in love.
45:55
Prayer becomes a bridge, connecting earth and eternity, sorrow and hope.
46:01
So over the years, I have learned this.
46:04
At the bedside of the dying, prayer rarely looks dramatic.
46:09
It is often simple. A whispered rosary, a psalm, a trembling,
46:14
Jesus, I trust in you. Yet in those humble prayers, God works deeply.
46:21
Fear loosens its grip.
46:23
Hearts are softened and a mysterious peace settles, one that cannot be explained, only received.
46:31
So these moments have strengthened my own faith.
46:35
They remind me that death, when surrounded by prayer, is not a dark ending, but a sacred passage.
46:44
Again and again, I have witnessed this truth. When prayer fills the room,
46:50
peace follows, not always loudly, but unmistakably.
46:55
So these are some of my experiences. Wow.
46:59
Now, Father, you've been doing this since 18, you said, is that correct,
47:03
at this particular shrine? Yes. Okay.
47:05
So you've got roughly eight years of escorting families, escorting those that are sick and dying.
47:13
Calming them in their hour of need and preparing them to go ahead and within
47:19
minutes, as you mentioned, to go and see the face of God.
47:24
My goodness, that's got to be a pretty, at least in my estimation,
47:27
a pretty heavy responsibility.
47:29
How do you prepare yourself to go and be in the moment?
47:35
I would assume that you have many different experiences with very different
47:40
reactions as you walk into the room of one that is passing and family members
47:46
that may be upset or distraught,
47:51
how do you yourself go ahead and prepare yourself to go and be the calming influence
47:56
for those particular family members?
47:59
Yeah, good question. Before I entered the room, on my way, I used to recite
48:05
the rosary for the person.
48:06
So my only intention is, Lord, help me, this soul may receive the sacrament
48:13
before dying. That's my first priority.
48:16
So I keep on repeating the rosary and then I go myself.
48:20
And then after entering the room, I used to greet everyone and then I'll ask
48:25
the permission, Is it okay for you to say my spontaneous prayer?
48:29
And then I will ask them to hold their hands together and ask them to come near
48:33
to the dying or sick and dying person.
48:36
And then I start with small little conversations and small little thing about God and then slowly.
48:44
Okay, although there are some non-Catholics too, some go to the church, some they don't.
48:49
Whereas I encourage them whether you believe in God or not so let us do it for
48:54
your mom or your dad who is there to make her happy that's my priority I give
49:01
to them let's make the sick patient to be happy and let us give us good peace and send her off.
49:09
Peacefully that's the main goal in my ministry that's my personal conviction
49:14
I took it as a personal conviction to make sure that,
49:18
Either the sick or the dying person may be at peace during the sacrament or
49:23
even after the sacrament when they die.
49:25
So that's how I encourage the family members to accompany their loved ones.
49:32
How beautiful. What a gift.
49:36
That has to be a special ability. The Holy Spirit must be on your shoulder frequently,
49:42
Father, to go ahead and be able to offer such comfort in the hour of need for
49:47
those who are near passing.
49:49
So, if I may, for someone who might be overwhelmed in life's difficulties, take a step back.
50:00
And, of course, you know something about having a full plate yourself.
50:05
Father, how can one develop a practical, personal devotion to St.
50:12
Joseph? How does one go about developing that and putting it into their busy day as you do?
50:19
Okay, I would say just to go there, just go to the church, look at St. Joseph, just sit down.
50:27
You don't need to pray anything, okay? You don't need to pray anything. Just look at him.
50:33
Automatically, your mind automatically rolls back about St. Joseph.
50:38
Has he spoken any words? No, nothing spoken.
50:40
Then today, how he became the foster father of St. Joseph, foster father of Father, Son, Jesus.
50:47
So, also, he's not only the father of Jesus, but he also comes up with so many different...
50:59
If you look at the litany of St. Joseph, St.
51:02
Joseph's terror of demons, he's praying for the suffering and dying,
51:07
and he's also protector of the families.
51:11
So, at least any one of them will fall into any one of the category.
51:16
If you look in the litany of St.
51:17
Joseph, there are so many titles are attributed to him.
51:21
So, any person may fall into any one of the particular categories.
51:27
So, go to St. Joseph, sit down, look at him, and then you just walk away.
51:33
I tell you, there will be some sort of changes that take place in that person like a mustard seed.
51:40
Hmm, how powerful.
51:42
In today's day and age, we as men, I'll put it that way, have a tough time trying
51:49
to go and remain quiet or silent.
51:54
The strength that St. Joseph exhibited in his silence and his servitude to his
52:03
son, as well as his spouse,
52:06
is an amazing testimony to his faith and his understanding of his position.
52:13
At least that would be my position. That would be my understanding.
52:16
It's so difficult today for us to go ahead and try to emulate St.
52:22
Joseph with those characteristics. especially when we have a desire to speak
52:29
out, we have a desire to be forceful, we have a desire to make ourselves heard and noticed,
52:35
which is very contrary to what St. Joseph was all about.
52:38
Yes, yes, absolutely. You are right. You got it.
52:43
Well, I can't believe it. Our time has flown by, Father.
52:47
It's been a special blessing to spend it with you, Father Leo Joseph,
52:52
who's the director, again, a reminder of director of the Shrine of St.
52:57
Joseph and the Pious Union of St. Joseph in Grass Lake, Michigan.
53:02
Father, I certainly want to thank you.
53:05
My goodness, you've opened our eyes to the quiet strength that certainly has
53:09
reminded us of this wonderful figure from our past of the foster parent here, Father, to Christ.
53:18
And how we should ask to be interceding for us especially at the hour of our
53:25
death. You've made it so clear, abundantly clear.
53:28
I want to thank you again for showing us, even with a full plate,
53:33
that peace is so possible and the devotion is available for us to go ahead and incorporate St.
53:40
Joseph in our prayers on a daily basis and look toward him for that righteousness
53:45
and that quietness that you've offered us today.
53:48
So, Father, would you be kind enough to go ahead and pray us out? Thank you.
53:53
Yes, absolutely. Thank you. Before saying the prayer, I'd like to thank you, Mr.
53:58
David, for the opportunity to talk about the Pison of St. Joseph in your radio show.
54:03
So I hope it will touch all the listeners, and I appreciate you for doing this.
54:10
May God bless you and all your entire team and all the beautiful work that you
54:15
do through the radio show. Thank you so much.
54:19
The blessing is mine, Father. Thank you so much.
54:22
Yeah, welcome. So let me close with a prayer, okay? Please.
54:26
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen.
54:32
Lord our God, we thank you for the grace of this time together.
54:36
May the words we have heard take root in our hearts, and bear fruit in love, faith, and service.
54:44
As we go forth, stay with us, guide us, and make us instruments of your peace
54:50
in the world. bless all who listen today and fill their homes with your presence and joy through St.
54:59
Joseph we enter everything in your hands and through the intercession of St.
55:03
Joseph through Christ our Lord Amen the
55:08
Lord be with you and with your spirit may Almighty God bless you in the name
55:13
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Amen again thank you so
55:19
very much for being our guest here, Father, on Catholic Connections.
55:24
My pleasure. Thank you so much, Mr. David, for the opportunity.
55:27
You've been listening to Catholic Conversations.
55:30
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