In 1955, Pope Pius XII made 1 May the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. He did this so it would fall on the same day as International Workers Day, usually called “May Day.” In the eighteenth century, May Day became a secular celebration of workers’ rights. In short, May Day was a major celebration for the communists in Communist countries and for Communist parties outside the Soviet sphere, especially in Western Europe.
By inaugurating the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, the Holy Father wanted to emphasize the Christian understanding of the necessity, importance, and dignity of work. Addressing the Catholic Association of Italian Workers on 1 May 1955, Pius XII, speaking about Saint Joseph, insisted:
There could not be a better protector to help you penetrate the spirit of the Gospel into your life…From the Heart of the Man-God, Savior of the world, this spirit flows into you and into all men; but it is certain that no worker has ever been as perfectly and deeply penetrated by it as the putative Father of Jesus, who lived with Him in the closest intimacy and commonality of family and work1Adding, “So, if you want to be close to Christ, We also today repeat to you ‘Ite Ioseph‘: Go to Joseph!”2 The antiphon for the Invitatory for today’s Memorial is: “Come let us worship Christ the Lord who was honored to be known as the son of a carpenter.”3
The Church’s understanding of the integrating nature of human work is grounded in the command given in Genesis to be stewards of God’s good earth and to engage in productive labor.
In his encyclical on the dignity of work, Laborem Exercens, Pope Saint John Paul II, a man, like our pastor, all too familiar with the oppressive nature of communism, observed:
the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society4
Saint Joseph the Worker
Let’s not forget that in Poland, it was the labor union Solidarity, named after one of the fundamental elements of the Church’s social teaching, that was instrumental in bringing about the freedom necessary for workers to enjoy the fruit of honest labor. Labor unions, which the Church continues to support, are great examples of living out the Church’s social teaching. Unions seek to safeguard human dignity by pursuing the common good, building solidarity, and being self-governing organizations, they also exemplify subsidiarity.
Since Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which kicked off the Church’s modern social teaching, the Church has sought to advocate for worker's rights, especially against often greedy wealthy interests. Rerum Novarum marked the Church’s somewhat delayed response to the Industrial Revolution.
With the digital revolution now culminating with the development of artificial intelligence, which poses as many or more threats than it does human benefits, it is no accident that our current pope took the papal name Leo. Since shortly after becoming Roman Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV has been at work on an encyclical addressing technology and artificial intelligence.
The encyclical is meant to serve the same purpose as Rerum Novarum in our current time; it is projected to be entitled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity).5 Pope Leo XIV deems it necessary for the Church to contribute to the pressing discussion about technological development by evaluating AI through the lens of integral human development, and to assess its current and future impact on human society.
By tirelessly working to protect and provide for his family while striving to listen to and obey God, Saint Joseph serves as a role model. Saint Joseph, the Worker. Pray for us.
1 Pope Pius XII. Speech to Catholic Association of Italian Workers. 1 May 1955..↩
2 Ibid.↩
3 Liturgy of the Hours. Proper of Saints, 1 May, Invitatory Antiphon for the Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker.↩
4 Pope John Paul II. Encyclical Letter On Human Work (Laborem Exercens), sec. 1.↩
5 Daniel Esparza. “'Magnifica Humanitas’: Pope Leo XIV’s Rerum Novarum moment” on Aleteia. 2 January 2026.↩
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