Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, is a member of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, based in Stockbridge, Mass. | COURTESY OF FR. DONALD CALLOWAY, MIC
‘Consecration to St. Joseph’ author, Fr. Donald Calloway, to speak to Diocese of Owensboro on Feb. 24
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
On Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, the Diocese of Owensboro’s Office of Worship will host a free, live webinar in honor of the Year of St. Joseph, which was declared by Pope Francis on Dec. 8, 2020.
The webinar will feature guest speaker Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, a member of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, and author of “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders Of Our Spiritual Father,” published in January 2020.
Fr. Calloway’s presentation will unpack what it means to have a whole year dedicated to the husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus – and how people can take advantage of this unique year, including how to consecrate oneself to St. Joseph.
In a Jan. 12, 2021 phone interview, Fr. Calloway told The Western Kentucky Catholic that the Catholic Church has never had a Year of St. Joseph “in our 2,000 years of history.”
“It’s important to look to him right now,” said Fr. Calloway. “There are problems in our world, in our families and even in our Church.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic, “people are out of work, anxieties are high,” and family life is more stressed than ever, said Fr. Calloway.
He said that many may perceive St. Joseph as just “some old guy in the corner” whose role could have been filled by anybody. In fact, “his role was vital to Jesus and Mary,” said Fr. Calloway.
The world needs the intercession of St. Joseph, as “the head of the Holy Family and Patron of the Church,” he said.
Fr. Calloway said he was recently talking with someone who used the term “patricide” – as in, a killing of the fathers – in reference to society’s crisis of fatherhood.
“A lot of men have been using their strength in the wrong way,” he said. But St. Joseph can be a model for the “virtuous manhood, sacrificial manhood,” that men are called to embody.
Fr. Calloway said he is encouraged to see multiple Catholic men’s groups and Knights of Columbus councils drawing inspiration from St. Joseph “in a powerful way.”
Having been a priest for 18 years, Fr. Calloway said he relies on St. Joseph as a spiritual father and an example of what it means to be a man.
“He helps me on a daily basis,” said Fr. Calloway. “He’s such a good model for me.”
Register for the webinar
The Office of Worship is excited to be offering a free webinar with Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, on February 24, 2021 at 2 p.m. Fr. Calloway is the author of “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father” and will be speaking on consecration to St. Joseph in this Year of St. Joseph. This is a free event and just requires registration. Learn more about Fr. Calloway’s talk and find the registration form by visiting owensborodiocese.org/year-of-st-joseph.
Learn more about the consecration to St. Joseph at www.consecrationtostjoseph.org.
Originally printed in the February 2021 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
