Leaving before the Saint Joseph Seminary that hosted him presented with an image of the Holy Custodian of the Family of Nazareth before the Holy Father left the city of Edmonton as he continues his trip to Quebec(Canada).
“I leave you my dearest friend,” the Pope said, according to Vatican News.
The Vatican Press Office reported that the image of Saint Joseph has been made according to 19th-century models and that it shows the Holy Custos “holding in his left arm the little Salvator Mundi (Savior of the World) while giving the blessing.”
The right hand of the image of Saint Joseph holds a stick “from which lilies would have miraculously sprouted when the priests of the Jerusalem temple were looking for a husband for Mary, among the unmarried descendants of the tribe of Judah”.
The Vatican note further indicates that “the image evokes the humility of St. Joseph, who slightly bows his head as a sign of respect for the Son of whom he is the only adoptive Father, and at the same time highlights the importance of his ‘silent care’ ”.
On more than one occasion Pope Francis has expressed his great devotion to Saint Joseph.