St. Teresa of Avila once said of Saint Joseph, “I never asked anything of him which he did not obtain.” So does the Church hail him as a wonder worker.
Although scripture does not record any miracle attributed directly to him, history has had its share of miracles, pious traditions and legends attributed to Saint Joseph.
The Staircase at Loretto Chapel
The staircase of Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico is shrouded in myth and legend. Some pious local traditions claim the identity of its builder and the physics of its structure are miraculous. The fact that the structure stands on its feet without any kind of central support attached to it has been considered, by many, as almost supernatural.
When the chapel was entrusted to the Sisters of Loretto they were also entrusted with the challenge of creating a means to get from the Church Body to the Choir loft. Many builders and carpenters turned down this request, saying that it was impossible and impractical. It would be better for them to tear down the choir loft.
The Sisters then started a novena to Saint Joseph. At the end of the novena, a man presented himself, claiming to be able to make the staircase. His only request was that he be allowed to work in total privacy.
After a period of three months, the staircase was finished, and just as the Mother Superior was about to pay the man, he disappeared without a trace. Many were in awe at the way the staircase was built, with some claiming that it should have fallen apart the moment someone attempted to climb it. That very staircase, standing six meters high, continues to stand today.
The Quencher of Thirst
One of the recognized apparitions of Saint Joseph happened on 07 June 1660, when a shepherd by the name of Gaspard Ricard was parched to death. Suddenly, a man appeared to him, identifying himself as Joseph, and instructed him to lift a boulder so he could drink. Desperate for water, he did as the man instructed, even if he knew he could not lift it all by himself. Surprisingly, he did, and under the boulder was a spring of water.
This spring of St. Joseph in Cotignac, France has been a pilgrimage site ever since, granting spiritual and physical healing to all those who touch its waters.
The Terror of Demons
Saint Bartolo Longo, a former Satanic Priest, attributes his conversion to the intercession of Saint Joseph, as he prayed daily for his intercession. Known also as the terror of demons, it was through his intercession that Saint Bartolo Longo attributes his liberation, and to his care did he entrust his life.
Many exorcists, missionaries and exorcists would attest to this, saying that whenever they are tempted or disturbed by the devil, the intercession of Saint Joseph has proven to be a powerful remedy against the wiles of the enemy.
Although there are not as many popular miracles attributed to Saint Joseph, it cannot be denied that he is indeed, a powerful intercessor. True to his nature, he guides and protects us, but he does not take away the spotlight from the one that really matters: Jesus Christ.