Father and child

..so happy to have you in our arms, Mary Catherine. We are so blessed by your life, a true gift from God. You and Daddy sleep together now, safe, secure, and serene. I love you both so much.

Happy feast day, Daddy. St. Joseph, pray for us!

 The Feast of St. Joseph

"...people are instructed in the truths of 

faith and brought to appreciate the inner 

joys of religion far more effectively by the 
annual celebration of our sacred mysteries 

than by any official pronouncement of 

the teaching of the Church. Such pronouncements 
usually reach only a few and the more learned

 among the faithful; feasts reach them all. 

The Church's teaching affects the mind 
primarily; her feasts affect both mind and heart and have a 
salutary effect upon man's whole nature."

--Pope Pius XI

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To my sweet husband, happy feast day. Thank you for providing for us. When a warm (or cold, es normal ;) shower cleans us at night, groceries are put in the refrigerator, or we lay our tired bodies into bed at the end of the day, we know how much you do for us, and we are grateful. When we walk into a HOUSE and are covered by a ROOF, we know how much you give, and we are grateful. When we make it back from one end of the earth to the other, we give God thanks for your skills and your protection. We give God thanks for the channel of grace you are to our lives. Thank you for serving. We love you.

OH, ST. JOSEPH, WHOSE PROTECTION IS SO GREAT, SO STRONG, SO PROMPT BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD,

I PLACE IN YOU ALL MY INTERESTS AND DESIRES.

OH, ST. JOSEPH, DO ASSIST ME BY YOUR POWERFUL INTERCESSION, AND OBTAIN FOR ME FROM YOUR DIVINE SON ALL

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD.

SO THAT, HAVING ENGAGED HERE BELOW YOUR HEAVENLY POWER, I MAY OFFER MY THANKSGIVING AND HOMAGE TO

THE MOST LOVING OF FATHERS.

OH, ST. JOSEPH, I NEVER WEARY OF CONTEMPLATING YOU, AND JESUS ASLEEP IN YOUR ARMS;

I DARE NOT APPROACH WHILE HE REPOSES NEAR YOUR HEART.

PRESS HIM IN MY NAME AND KISS HIS FINE HEAD FOR ME AND ASK HIM TO RETURN THE KISS WHEN I DRAW MY DYING BREATH. 

ST. JOSEPH, PATRON OF DEPARTING SOULS - PRAY FOR ME.

Thank you from your Treasures, Muito obrigado dos seus Tesouros

Dear Dad,
I love you. Thanks for the week you stayed off from work and played with us. I loved it! Have a great work week. I miss you. I would like to see you after naps. It was a great time with you when you stayed off of work. I liked when you swam with us. I'm sorry for the day when you were staying home and you broke your foot. We liked it when you stayed home.

Love, Pita

Dear Dad,
Thank you for doing Ferdinand and thank you for going swimming, and thank you that we're going somewhere on a trip. Thank you for staying home. I would like to go watch the planes take off with you.

Love,
Caleb

Dear Dad,
Thank you for spending three weeks with us. It was such fun having Easter with you and the Easter hunt at our house and searching for the Easter Bunny's note. I really had a fun time playing Ferdinand with us. playing chase, and having a great time of having picnics in the backyard. I had fun going swimming with you a lot and having a grill. And I really wanted to thank you on Easter that you bought us Chinese food. I also wanted to thank you for driving us all around when Marta was born and also to Parque da Cidade; I had a great time there with you! I hope we can go to Parque da Cidade with you before we leave. I had a fun time picking out Marta's tree. I bet you had a great time too. Thank you for everything you did.
"
Thanks, little brother", said the Dump to Blue, you helped me and I helped you. Now I see that a lot depends on a helping hand from a few good friends."

Love,
Madeleine

Dear Dada,
I love you, Dad. Yes, Dad! Thank you for our special moments together and for all of your holds, loves, putting me to sleep, helping me wave and say "Tchau!" when I had to go to bed at night. Do you know how much fun I had with you, Dada? I didn't even like when you walked out the door, because I was already missing you! You are such a good Dad, and I just know how much I'm loved. Thank you for being such a caring Dada, and  so much fun. So MUCH fun that you hurt your foot running to care for me! You watch me, love me, care for me so well, and even know my likes and preferences: I love salad, but you know sometimes it's tricky for me to get the lettuce leaves with my fork, or those cucumber slices-- yummy! You know me, Dada. And I am so happy I have you as my Dad.

I love you,
Nellie

Hi, Daddy!
Thank you for your love in these early stages of my life. You were our comfort as Mom and I worked together in labor. You stood and held Mom and me as I prepared to enter the big world You gazed into my eyes just minutes after birth, and just like always, you were selfless: you were the last one who got to hold me for the first time as you took care of getting all my siblings together for their first look at me, just three short weeks ago that Wednesday night after 10:04pm, when I entered the world! Thank you for being our security. You are our protector, you are our dear daddy, and we love you. I enjoy so much the comfort of your arms, your sweet kisses to me, the soft snuggles. Thank you for being my Dad and for welcoming my life into yours and Mom's, together.

With love from my little heart,
Marta

Grateful and Glad

We had such a good time together. Thank you for sharing a work trip with us: many adventures, yummy meals, pool time in cool weather atop the roof of a hotel in Sao Paulo's open-air Fall weather (memorable!), taxi car rides, enjoying the beauty of 4 little people lying on top of us in the back seat of a taxi, praying the Rosary in the taxis as we crossed the city from here to there and there to here. I love you.

We love you, Daddy!

Dad and his girls.

 Dad and his threesome for story time. Madge had a story, from the Children's Book of Virtues, on her mind before everyone headed to bed.

 Daddy's fourth Little Blessing still growing inside, to arrive in October.)

Caleb and Daddy in the bom-bu (as Little Caleb calls it.:)


We love you for the blessing you are in our lives. Thank you for sharing God's gift of life and welcoming our treasures into this world with loving arms. We give you this song to say, we love you. Happy Father's Day. May St. Joseph always remain your help and strength in perseverance in the face of difficulties, joys, and sufferings.

Prayer to Saint Joseph for Fathers

Saint Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty. You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too knew trial, labor and weariness. But amid the worries of material life, your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God's Son entrusted to you and with Mary, his tender Mother. Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over Him faithfully as you have done. Amen. Pope John XXIII
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May God continue to bless our Dads, who said "yes" to our lives and lovingly and sacrificially served us in the family. We love you and are grateful for you.