St. Joseph, Patron of a happy death

This title is in our Catholic tradition. We learned it in our catechism class. It is maybe part of the so-called APOCRYPHA, a body of stories based in the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph which are not found in the gospels of Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

It was believed by early Christians that Jesus and Mama Mary were at the bedside of St. Joseph when he was dying. This began the custom of people praying for the grace of having Jesus and Mary before they return to God at the point of death. This grace refers to the presence of a priest with sacraments of confession, holy anointing and the Eucharist. I had a strange, perhaps miraculous, experience which can be used as an example for this..

I was ordained a priest of the archdiocese of Jaro, Iloilo, on 18 March 1961. Then Archbishop Jose Ma. Cuenco assigned me as parochial vicar in the parish of La Paz, a poor parish in that city district, whose parish priest was Msgr. Melecio Fegarido.

One evening, almost around midnight, the door began to ring. It kept ringing for some time. The parish priest didn’t get up to find out who it was. So I got up and went downstairs. It was a young boy about 12 years old who said a dying man wanted to see a priest.

In those days we had to wear our white cassock especially on sick calls. So I hurriedly put on my white cassock and went to the church to get the oils and the Sacred Host, and followed the boy who said the dying man was at the back of the market place. I was so sleepy that I did not ask why he was wearing all white shirt and pants.

Upon reaching the place the boy pointed to the house where the sick man was but to see him I had to pass through a big whole in the floor. Even with my cassock I got up through easily. And there was the man lying in bed happy but quite surprised to see me. I said, “I came because the boy you sent said you are very sick”. It was my turn to be surprised when he said that there was no boy, that he lived alone
but he was happy and grateful that I came with the sacraments.

So I heard his confession, gave him Holy Communion and anointed him with the oil of the sick. Then I said goodbye, went down through hole and walked back to the convento. There was no boy around anymore.

Next day about 2pm while playing basketball in the plaza a funeral procession was bringing a coffin into the church. I went to.pray and bless the dead. It was the man I visited the night before which raised questions about the man and the boy. So I asked who knew about the man.

An elderly woman said the man lived alone.with no family and children. But every Tuesday he would go to St. Clement Church to pray or attend a novena to St. Joseph.

That report of the woman explained everything about the boy and the dying man and all that happened the night before! St. Joseph rewarded his faithful devotee.