This devotion to Saint Joseph was willed by Jesus and Mary

The Virgin Mary has been appearing in Itapiranga, Brazil (state of Amazonas) since 1994, to seers Edson Glauber (1) and his mother Maria Do Carmo. The Marian apparitions, which continue to this day, were approved by the local bishop, Dom Carillo Gritti (Itacoatiara diocese) who issued a decree allowing celebrations of worship, confession and pilgrimages (first statement dated May 31, 2009, followed by a "Decree of Worship" on January 31, 2010) and who blessed the foundation stone of the shrine on May 2, 2010.

The messages insist on the importance of prayer, the Rosary, Divine Mercy, the existence of the devil and hell, and the grave sins of occult practices, magic, and abortion; the need to practice chastity and to respect the laws of marriage.

The messages also insist on God’s wish to spread devotion to Saint Joseph and his Most Chaste Heart, in union with the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and on establishing a feast in honor of the Most Chaste Heart of Joseph on the Wednesday following the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The messages insist very much on the fact that Saint Joseph, who was on earth the protector of Jesus and Mary, has "a great mission" to accomplish, and that this devotion to him will hasten the triumph of Jesus and Mary.

Saint Joseph also gave a special scapular for his patronage, with promises of assistance and protection in times of temptation, especially of impurity. He encourages other forms of devotion to honor him, such as helping those in need, especially the sick and dying.

(1) It should be noted that in 2017 a letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith stated that, in their opinion, the apparitions and messages reported by Edson are not authentic and, subsequently, that the messages should not be distributed within the Diocese. This can be confusing, since the Diocese does accord the location shrine status, making it a place of pilgrimage. This is a very important distinction to keep in mind. Masses are celebrated here as you can see, and plans are under way to build a large shrine dedicated to Our Lady to accommodate the growing crowds coming to the site.

Editorial staff of Chrétiens magazine