The Pious Union of St. Joseph for the Suffering and Dying

"Death and dying have always been a disturbing challenge to human beings. In founding the Pious Union of St. Joseph for the dying, Blessed Louis Guanella has inspired continuous prayers to help all people on the point of crossing the threshold of eternal life."

~ Pope John Paul II, October 30, 2004 ~

St. Joseph was a person of hope. He trusted in God, even in times of uncertainty and suffering, and he has been consoled by the presence of Jesus, the Son of God and his foster son; and Mary, his wife, and Mother of Our Lord. He shared his life, feelings, his whole being with them; they were the source of his strength, faith and courage. Jesus and Mary were with St. Joseph at the hour of his death.

Blessed Louis Guanella, priest (1842 - 1915), was deeply devoted to St. Joseph and expressed an unconditional trust in his intercession.

Under the protection of Pope St. Pius X, who sponsored his project, Fr. Guanella began in 1909 to build a church in Rome, named for St. Joseph and dedicated on March 19, 1912. Today it is a Minor Basilica.

When the construction was complete, he confided to St. Pius X his desire to establish an association of devotees to St. Joseph, who pray each day for his intercession for the benefit of the suffering and dying. "Your idea has been inspired by God," said the Pope. "We ourselves wanted to suggest it to you. We will be the first to be enrolled in this great Crusade of prayer."

Canonically recognized on February 12, 1914, the Pious Union of St. Joseph for the Salvation of the Dying was declared a "Primary Confraternity" by Pope St. Pius X.

He wrote: "We desire to make known how much we appreciate this most praiseworthy Association and we wish our name to be the first inscribed among the members of the same, exhorting all our dear Brothers in the priesthood not to forget the dying each day in the Divine Sacrifice. We, likewise, exhort all the faithful, and especially Religious, to accustom themselves to raise up special prayers to God and to St. Joseph in favor of the dying"

Fr. Guanella felt deeply, "there is a need to live well, but there is even a greater need to die well. A peaceful death is everything, especially today when people value only material things and earthly enjoyments, rejecting eternal values."

If you wish to become a member of the Pious Union of St. Joseph for the Suffering and Dying send your name and complete address to:

Pious Union of St. Joseph
For the Suffering and Dying
953 East Michigan Ave.
Grass Lake, MI 49240-9210

All members ardently honor St. Joseph on March 19th and every Wednesday. Daily, we pray our prayer and perform sacrifice and good deeds for suffering and dying people.

Membership is without charge. A free-will donation upon enrollment, and at least once each year accomplishes many good works.

Spreading devotion to St. Joseph, Patron of the Suffering and Dying
Maintaining and improving St. Joseph's Shrine
Expanding the Tent of Charity according to the ministry of the Servants of Charity

Members commit themselves to pray daily to St. Joseph for the suffering and dying, trusting in his intercession while reciting this prayer:

"O St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus Christ and true spouse of the Virgin Mary,pray for us and for the suffering and dying of today."

Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet Obtains Mercy for the Dying

"Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you. Anyone who says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as the last hope. Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy...."

"....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior".

~ Jesus to St. Faustina ~

Prayer for Those Who Are Dying

Prayer and Acts of Mercy for the Dying

THE DAILY PRACTICE OF ADOPTING AN UNKNOWN DYING SOUL

God's mercy is so abundant that He wants to shower it upon earth. He sent His only Son, Our Lord to redeem sinners at the cost of Calvary. Christ would have died on that Cross to redeem but one soul, yet the One Sacrifice was sufficient for all. Redemption, however, does not suffice for salvation, as St. Paul warns us to work out our salvation "in fear and trembling."

With the great Apostasy predicted by the Apostle to the Gentiles come upon us in these last days many souls are going to Hell: they either do not know how, or cannot pray for themselves.

But Jesus Christ is waiting and now is the acceptable time, if only we, who do believe and do pray would only make it a daily habit of unfathomable charity and mercy, to spiritually adopt an unknown dying sinner, asking God for the grace for that person to repent or ask for mercy in his last moments. As a pledge of our fidelity and trust in Christ's mercy, all we have to do is ask through our prayer offering, perhaps, if so moved, to offer the intention of our entire day, or to forego one small pleasure that is licit in exchange [not necessary but a gracious little work]; at the very least we should make the intention of bearing one inconvenience that day with more patience than is our usual wont, for the repentance of that soul.

Any formula of prayer can be used, but for those who prefer an assist, here is a short invocation that can be said for that soul:

A PRAYER FOR THE DYING AND A SPECIAL SOUL

O MOST MERCIFUL JESUS, lover of souls,
I beseech Thee, by the agony of Thy most Sacred Heart,
and by the sorrows of Thine Immaculate Mother,
wash clean in the Thy Blood the sinners of the whole world
who are to die this day.

Remember most especially the soul I spiritually adopt
with the intention of entrusting him or her to Thy Shepherd's care:
I beseech Thee for the grace to move this sinner,

who is in danger of going to Hell, to repent.

I ask this because of my trust in Thy great mercy.

If it should please Thy Majesty to send me a suffering this day
in exchange for the grace I ask for this soul,

then, it, too, shall please me very much,

and I thank Thee, Most Sweet Jesus, Shepherd and Lover of Souls;

I thank Thee for this opportunity to give mercy

in thanksgiving for all the mercies Thou hast shown me. Amen.

Heart of Jesus, once in agony, have mercy on the dying.

~ From CatholicTradition.org ~