Feast of St Joseph the Worker & International Workers' Day 2021

Today marks the joint celebration of the Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker and International Workers' Day.

It is a chance to acknowledge the role of workers in our world and renew our commitment to ensuring there is dignity in work.

In 1955, Pope Pius XII also established the day as the Feast of St Joseph the Worker in order to reflect Joseph's status as a model for and patron of workers. The Church highlights, especially, Joseph's patience, persistence, courage, and hard work.

 This year is also special as on December 8th 2020, Pope Francis issued a new Apostolic Letter entitled Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”). The Letter marks the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis has proclaimed a special “Year of St Joseph,” beginning on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 2020 and extending to the same feast in 2021.

"Let us implore Saint Joseph the Worker to help us find ways to express our firm conviction that no young person, no person at all, no family should be without work!" Pope Francis, Patris Corde.

 As we honour St Joseph, let us ask his prayers for the world and for the Church. For those who cannot find work and those fearful about their own employment. We also ask that you keep workers in your prayers and continue your support of our mission to young workers in particular.

 At the conclusion of his Letter, he adds another prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages all of us to pray together:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil.  Amen.

Workers' Memorial Day

Today marks this years Workers' Memorial Day. The purpose of the day is to "remember the dead: fight for the living" and is an opportunity to focus on all those killed through work but at the same time, ensuring that such tragedies are not repeated.

Every year more people are killed at work than in wars. Most die because their safety hasn't been considered an important priority.

For 2021, the theme of the day is "Health and Safety is a fundamental workers’ right"

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed an occupational health crisis in workplaces worldwide. Workers are routinely denied even basic health and safety protections, including consultation with safety reps and safety committees on ‘Covid-safe’ policies and practices, free access to personal protective equipment and protection from victimisation for raising health and safety concerns. These same problems existed before the pandemic and resulted in millions of deaths each year from work-related injuries and diseases.

Workers' Memorial Day is held on 28 April every year, all over the world workers and their representatives conduct events, demonstrations, vigils and a whole host of other activities to mark the day.

The YCW will be joining in the commemorations and fully support the need to promote safe and secure work places, as an inherent part of ensuring that the dignity of workers is respected.

Workers' Memorial Day is officially recognised by the UK Government.

Rerum Novarum 130 Years on: The Future of the World of Work

In May 1891 Pope Leo XIII published an encyclical “Rerum Novarum”, the first papal document to address the issue of the plight of industrial workers. The letter was a key stage in the development of Catholic Social teaching. The encyclical also laid out the elements of a just wage that would orient workers’ demands for many decades into the future.

The conference will consist of 10 webinars throughout the day and evening from Wednesday 5th May through to Saturday 8th May. The conference is free and to register contact the Rev Dr Ashley Beck: ashley.beck@stmarys.ac.uk

Published in 1891 at the height of the Industrial Revolution, “Rerum Novarum” was also a key formative document in the life of the young Joseph, Cardinal, Cardijn. It was a document that would have a decisive impact on his whole life as an advocate for the workers, particularly young workers.

Later, in 1931, when Pope Pius XI, published the encyclical Quadragesimo Anno to mark the 40th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, he made specific reference to Cardijn’s emerging YCW movement.

“The ranks of the workers themselves are already giving happy and promising signs of a social reconstruction,” Pope Pius XI wrote. “To Our soul’s great joy, We see in these ranks also the massed companies of young workers, who are receiving the counsel of Divine Grace with willing ears and striving with marvellous zeal to gain their comrades for Christ.” (no.140)

The conference will look at the theology and historical background of what Pope Leo wrote and assess its continuing importance. The letter shows the Catholic community beginning to engage with the “world of work”, and this tradition has deveoped so much in the last 130 years.

YCW joins Caritas Social Action Network

Caritas Social Action Network is delighted to announce three new members:

• Caritas Hexham and Newcastle provides vision, support, encouragement and a voice for change, bringing together works of mercy and outreach across the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

• Million Minutes works to create a world where all young people enjoy a life of dignity and are accompanied to discover and fulfil their purpose through social action.

• Young Christian Workers (YCW) is a Movement run for, by and amongst young people, working for a world where young people can make a difference, where they can “Be the Difference”.

Marc Besford, National President of YCW, said,

‘I am really pleased that the YCW has been able to join Caritas Social Action Network. I hope with this new partnership we can grow stronger and help both organisations reach more people, especially when education has been interrupted, jobs lost or at risk, opportunities are harder to find and there are other challenges that will impact on young people’s futures. My hope is that together we can voice these and other concerns that affect young people.’

CSAN’s CEO Phil McCarthy commented: 

‘I am pleased to welcome these three organisations into membership of our flourishing network. Caritas Hexham and Newcastle is the fifteenth Caritas diocese to be established in England and Wales. Four more are in formation. I am particularly pleased that we have been joined by two members focused on youth. If the Church is to build back after the Covid-19 pandemic, we will need the energy and enthusiasm that young people can bring to our social outreach and work for justice.’

New YCW Group in Bradford

We are pleased to announce that a new YCW Group has been set up in Mary, Mother of God Parish, Bradford. The Group’s Adult Companion will be Mgr. Paul Grogan, who has been working with the National Team to set up the Group.

Mgr. John Marsland, National Chaplain, went virtually along to the first meeting to help lead the session and explain how a YCW Group runs, the various ways in which young people can take on the leadership of the movement and ultimately, how the group can help strengthen the link between their reality and the Gospels.

Marc Besford, National President went along to their second meeting and did a workshop on the principles of the YCW so they could understand and appreciate the need for the SEE-JUDGE-ACT method and what it means to be a young leader. This gives the young people an opportunity to discuss their own realities and examine how this all fits into their local communities and the wider world, but then inspires them to act upon this with authentic Christian action.

Marc said: "It was great to see another new group being formed especially in the current circumstances. The young people who came along were really enthusiastic and keen to learn more about the YCW”

“Partis Corde” – With a Fathers Heart

On December 8th 2020, Pope Francis issued a new Apostolic Letter entitled Patris corde (“With a Father’s Heart”).

The Letter marks the 150th anniversary of Blessed Pope Pius IX’s declaration of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. To celebrate the anniversary, Pope Francis has proclaimed a special “Year of St Joseph,” beginning on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 2020 and extending to the same feast in 2021.

The Pope writes that St Joseph was a father who teaches the value, dignity and joy of work

“A carpenter who earned an honest living to provide for his family,” St Joseph also teaches us “the value, the dignity and the joy of what it means to eat bread that is the fruit of one’s own labour.” This aspect of Joseph’s character provides Pope Francis the opportunity to launch an appeal in favour of work, which has become “a burning social issue” even in countries with a certain level of well-being. “there is a renewed need to appreciate the importance of dignified work, of which Saint Joseph is an exemplary patron,” the Pope writes.

Work, he says, “is a means of participating in the work of salvation, an opportunity to hasten the coming of the Kingdom, to develop our talents and abilities, and to put them at the service of society and fraternal communion.” Those who work, he explains, “are cooperating with God himself, and in some way become creators of the world around us.” Pope Francis encourages everyone “to rediscover the value, the importance and the necessity of work for bringing about a new ‘normal’ from which no one is excluded.” Especially in light of rising unemployment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Pope calls everyone to “review our priorities” and to express our firm conviction that no young person, no person at all, no family should be without work!”.

At the conclusion of his Letter, he adds another prayer to St Joseph, which he encourages all of us to pray together:

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage,
and defend us from every evil.  Amen.