Saint Joseph the Betrothed Resource Page

St. Joseph the Betrothed (Feast Day - Sunday After Christmas)

Verses

I honor Joseph the betrothed of the Virgin,
As her sole elected guardian.

Synaxarion for Joseph the Betrothed, James the Brother of God and David the Prophet

Sunday After Christmas: Joseph the Betrothed, James the Adelphotheos and King David

The Sunday After the Nativity of Christ

A Homily on the Righteous Joseph

The Silence of Joseph

Saint Amphilochios Makris and the Kathisma of Saint Joseph the Betrothed on the Island of Patmos

In the south of Patmos, at the Bay of Stavros, is the area known as Kouvari. Kalliopi Nikitaki, later known as the Nun Martha and was the sister of Saint Amphilochios Makris (1889-1970), bought this land and had Saint Amphilochios establish a Kathisma (a hermitage with a small chapel that belongs to a monastery), which he dedicated to Saint Joseph the Betrothed.

In the chapel is an icon stand with an icon (116 x 82 cm) of Saint Joseph the Betrothed in his workshop. Under Saint Joseph's figure, which dominates the icon, four scenes are depicted: the birth of Christ (top left), the flight of Joseph and Mary to Egypt (bottom left), Joseph's dream (top right), and Joseph and Mary at the coronation with God the Father blessing them (bottom right). It should also be noted that in the scene of the flight to Egypt, the donkey that carries Mary and the infant Christ, behind which Joseph is walking, is guided by a boy inscribed “James”; obviously, he is no other than James the Lord's brother. The inscription of the icon states that it was made in 1860.

The Church of Saint Joseph the Betrothed and Saint Photini in Evosmos of Thessaloniki

Evosmos, a suburb of Thessaloniki, has a church in the process of being completed dedicated to both Saint Joseph the Betrothed and Saint Photini the Samaritan. In the chapel being used for services is an iconostasis with Joseph the Betrothed situated next to the icon of the Theotokos, and Photini the Samaritan is situated next to Joseph the Betrothed. Here are some of the latest photos.

A Chapel in Cyprus Dedicated to Saint Joseph the Betrothed

In the center of the city of Limassol in Cyprus stands a beautiful and picturesque chapel, unique in its architecture and decoration, dedicated to Saint Joseph the Betrothed. Despite the fact that it adjoins much taller and more modern buildings, this chapel manages to stand out. Following the style of the three-aisled, cruciform church, construction on the chapel began in 2006 and was completed in 2009. Its distinctive feature is the decoration of its exterior walls, alternating rows of red bricks and white stone. The chapel's outer courtyard is paved with a special type of tile imported from China. All around the yard is enclosed with a stone wall and a decorative railing. The result is a unique type of temple, creating a modern image, based on traditional elements of ecclesiastical architecture.

A Church in Crete Dedicated to Saint Joseph the Betrothed

Sfakia is a mountainous area in the southwestern part of the island of Crete, in the Chania regional unit. There, in the village of Vouva, stands what is considered to be the only Orthodox church in Greece dedicated to Saint Joseph the Betrothed. It was built by Sifis Chiotakis, a writer who is involved in the politics of the village and is Vice President of the Thermal Hydraulic Association of Chania. Sifis had a dream to build a church in his village dedicated to Saint Joseph, from whom the name Sifis is derived (it is the most popular name in the area). When researching the matter, he learned that there is no other church in Greece dedicated to Saint Joseph. He therefore gathered all the men of Sfakia named Sifis to help. In all, 25 men named Sifis gathered to help together with 27 men named George, along with many others of the region. Work began on the church in 2007, and it was consecrated on July 25, 2009. Though the feast of Saint Joseph falls on the Sunday after Christmas, the feast of this church is celebrated on the last Saturday of July.

A 14th Century Fresco from Mount Athos of Saint Joseph the Betrothed

Old icons of Saint Joseph the Betrothed alone outside a scene from his life used to be rare in Orthodox churches, especially as early as the fourteenth century. But in the katholikon of Pantokratoros Monastery on the Holy Mountain of Athos, which was decorated with frescoes of high artistic quality by the school of Manuel Panselinos during the decade 1360-1370, there is an exception. In the left choir of the katholikon is preserved a fresco from 1363 simply titled "O Mnestoras", meaning "The Betrothed"; this of course is a reference to Joseph the Betrothed.