The Philippine Catholic Church on Wednesday declared the institutionalization of the Men of St. Joseph (MOSJ), a lay Catholic association of men committed to Jesus and consecrated to his foster father.

The launching followed the national consecration of the Filipino familes to St. Joseph led by Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), at the San Roque Cathedral in Caloocan City.

The new movement is a collaborative initiative of the CBCP, the Council of the Laity in the Philippines, and the Oblates of St. Joseph (OSJ).

The MOSJ is the bishops’ response to the call of Pope Francis in his apostolic letter, Patris Corde, urging the Church “to reflect upon the role of St. Joseph in caring and loving our Saviour… with the Father’s heart”.

During the event, the OSJ through its provincial superior, Fr. Jason Andaya, formally accepted the task of being the propagator and spiritual guide of the new movement.

Fr. Erwin Mendoza, priest-in-charge of the MOSJ, said the organization aims “to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal”.

Among its envisioned objectives, he said, are “to sanctify work and promote the dignity of labor in society and to serve the needs of the Church and society through corporal and spiritual works of mercy”.

Any Catholic man of at least 18 years of age, who is willing to learn and commit himself to imitate the virtues of St. Joseph, may become a member of the organization.

“We call all Catholic men, at least 18 years of age, who are willing to learn and commit themselves to practice the virtues St. Joseph,” Mendoza said.

The MOSJ is also one of the CBCP’s legacies for the Year of St. Joseph, which concluded on Dec. 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The year began last Dec. 8, 2020, according to a decree authorized by Pope Francis in honor of the 150th anniversary of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church.

The pope had also granted special indulgences to mark the year.