St Joseph
- proper noun
:
San José
- Many families celebrate St Joseph on March 19th.
Examples
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The church held a special mass on St Joseph to honor the patron saint.
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Many communities celebrate St Joseph with parades and traditional foods.
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On St Joseph, people reflect on the life and virtues of the saint.
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Did you know that St Joseph is the patron saint of workers?
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Many communities celebrate St Joseph with parades and traditional foods.
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On St Joseph, people reflect on the life and virtues of the saint.
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The church held a special mass on St Joseph to honor the patron saint.
Synonyms
A Christian feast day on March 19 that honors Joseph, the husband of Mary, especially among Catholics
A Christian day that honors Saint Joseph, Mary's husband
Surface Forms
Morphology
St + Joseph
The form is compositionally built from 'St' (Saint) + 'Joseph', so a B1 learner who knows those constituents will understand the reference to the saint himself. However, the specific sense given here — a holy day/feast commemorating Saint Joseph — relies on cultural and naming conventions (knowing that references to a saint can denote a feast day), so the meaning is not fully predictable from the words alone.
Etymology
St Joseph comes from the Christian story of St Joseph, the humble carpenter who cared for Mary and raised Jesus. People chose a special day to remember his quiet strength and care, so St Joseph today means a church day 'to honor' the saint and his example.
