Two memorable March events held at St. Joseph Parish

KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN–St. Joseph Parish in Xiaogang District hosted the annual Lenten Recollection for the Parishes belonging to the 2nd Deanery in the Diocese of Kaohsiung on March 14, 2021. Fray Joel Dequilla, OAR, the  Pastor of the host Parish facilitated the day-long Lenten Recollection for participants coming from the parishes of St. John Gabriel Perboyre Church 聖董文學堂，Mother of Good Counsel Church 善導之母堂，Blessed Sacrament Church 耶穌聖體堂，Holy Family Church 聖家堂，Stella Maris Catholic Church 海星聖母堂，Queen of Victory Church 勝利之后堂，and the host parish 聖若瑟堂.

The Lenten Recollection started at 9AM. Fray Dequilla shared two topics for reflection during the morning session. The first one was entitled the “Three Essential Activities of Lent (Prayer, Fasting, and Alms-giving)”, the 2nd topic was dubbed “The 5 T’s of Friendship”. Both topics were gleaned from the homilies of Bishop Robert Barron. Participants of the Lenten Recollection also prayed the Stations of the Cross around the Parish compound. In the afternoon, three priests namely Fr. Ignatius Tu 杜武吉，Fr. Joseph Meng-zhe Wu 吳孟哲，and Fray Dequilla 戴健福 heard the confessions of the participants. The joint Lenten Recollection concluded with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with Fray Dequilla as presider and homilist and Fr. Joseph Meng-zhe Wu as con-celebrant.

On March 19, 2021, the feast day of her Patron Saint Joseph, the Parish also commemorated her 64th Founding Anniversary. A solemn Mass at 8 o’clock in the evening was presided by Most Rev. Peter Liu 劉振忠總主教, Archbishop of the Diocese of Kaohsiung. Frays Corvin Maturan, OAR 馬文德, Nimrod Launio, OAR 廖昱恩, and Joel Dequilla, OAR 戴健福 joined  Archbishop Liu at the altar. Prior to the actual feast day, a septenary Masses in honor of St. Joseph were held nightly at the Church starting on March 12, 2021 until March 18, 2021. Fray Dequilla, in his daily homilies during the septenary masses utilized the 7 personal reflections on St. Joseph shared by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart).

This year’s Parish fiesta, albeit subdued due to the Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions but was solemnly celebrated. Archbishop Liu in his homily exalted the virtue of St. Joseph, who,  though silent yet was creatively courageous in his participation to the Divine plan of salvation. Archbishop Liu moreover, highlighted the plenary indulgences bestowed on those who, on the feast of St. Joseph fulfilled the spiritual acts required by the Church.