Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph Tuesday, December 8th, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the saint’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church. The year begins December 8, 2020, and concludes on December 8, 2021, according to a decree authorized by the pope. The decree said that Francis had established a Year of St. Joseph so that “every member of the faithful, following his example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.” It added that the pope had granted special indulgences to mark the year.