Saint Joseph, Protector of the Holy Church

St. Joseph Catholic Church / Mission San José, Diocesan Shrine of Saint Joseph, presents the Fourth Annual Saint Joseph Conference, a gathering of prayer, teaching, sacred music, and devotion centered on Saint Joseph as Protector of the Holy Church.

The conference offers theological reflection, sacred liturgy, and artistic expression, inviting the faithful to deepen their understanding of Saint Joseph’s role in the life of the Church and his enduring witness of faith, obedience, and quiet strength.

Registration for the event is $20 per person, includes hospitality and lunch.
For directions see our campus map or Google Map

Featured presenters include Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea Parish in San Francisco and respected theologian and preacher known for his clear and faithful exposition of Catholic doctrine. His teaching emphasizes tradition, clarity, and the spiritual fatherhood of priests, with particular attention to the role of Saint Joseph in the life of the Church.

Also featured is Mark Price, Catholic speaker, writer, and performer best known for his acclaimed one-man presentation Saint Joseph ~ In His Own Words. Through Scripture, theology, and sacred imagination, he presents Saint Joseph as a model of quiet strength, obedience, and courageous faith.

The conference begins Friday evening with a Simple Soup Supper, followed by Stations of the Cross in the Main Church, featuring the Mission San José Orchestra. Saturday includes Holy Mass, keynote talks, individual confession, Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, devotional prayer, and veneration of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare of Assisi relics, culminating in the 5:30 PM Vigil Mass presided over by Bishop Michael C. Barber, S.J., celebrated in the historic Mission Church. See detailed schedule below for times and locations.

Plenary Indulgence

In commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed 2026 as the Jubilee Year of Saint Francis. Founded by the Franciscans, Mission San José is a designated site for this observance. Those who attend this event and visit the Mission during the Jubilee Year (January 10, 2026 through January 10, 2027) may obtain a plenary indulgence, as established by the Apostolic Penitentiary.

The plenary indulgence may be obtained by the faithful who are repentant and free from attachment to sin, receive sacramental confession and Holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and complete the prescribed Jubilee work.

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