Pop-Up Catechesis: St. Joseph and a Place for Introverts in the Church

We live in a culture that idealizes extroverts. As a society, we too often tend to equate success, not only with money, but also with the person who can talk the loudest and fastest. We live in a culture of personality. Unfortunately (and this is a pet peeve of mine), the same is often true in our Church: we too often equate discipleship with the ability to talk loud, fast, and convincingly about our faith in Jesus Christ. The problem is that leaves out half of the population. Those of us who are introverts are too often seen as lukewarm about our faith, because we are not “making enough noise.” Take heart, introverts! On March 19, we celebrate the unofficial patron saint of introverts—St. Joseph—who appears in a number of scenes in Scripture but never says a word! In this episode of Pop-Up Catechesis, we prepare to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph in a year that Pope Francis has proclaimed as the Year of St. Joseph (December 8, 2020 to December 8, 2021).

For more information about St. Joseph, check out the following links:

• The Year of St. Joseph
• Three Lessons Catechists Can Learn from St. Joseph
• Silence is Golden (In Honor of St. Joseph)
• How Introverts Learn
• St. Joseph (from Voices of the Saints by Bert Ghezzi)
• Saint Joseph Activities Pack
• Prayer to St. Joseph, Protector of the Church
• Alone or Lonely?

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