Saint Joseph Medal
From€299
Choose your materialThe face
Saint Joseph Medal, guardian of the family
The Saint Joseph Medal by Latournerie is an original creation dedicated to the husband of Mary, whom Catholics invoke as protector of the family. It is available in 18ct yellow gold, 925 silver and 925 silver vermeil. Whether you are thinking of a father, an expected child or a household, this design gives a face to a simple question: what meaning do you want to give to this saint when you wear or give his image?
The back
The back can be engraved.
A name, a date, a few words: on the back of the medal, close to you.
The profile
0.9 mmThickness, relief included
- Diameter
- Ø 20.5 mm
- Overall height
- 25.1 mm
- Bail
- Ribbon
The material
Choose your material.
Material
Your piece
Saint Joseph Medal
Gold 750/1000
- Diameter
- 20.5 mm
- Approximate weight
- 4.6 g
€1,342
Optional — a name, a date. An engraved piece is made for you: it cannot be returned.0 / 40 · 2 lines at most
The piece, measured
Dimensions
- Shape
- Round
- Diameter
- 20.5 mm
- Overall height
- 25.1 mm
- Thickness, relief included
- 0.9 mm
- Bail
- Ribbon
Approximate weight
- Gold 750/1000
- 4.6 g
- Silver 925/1000
- 3.1 g
- Vermeil 925/1000
- 3.1 g
Dimensions taken from the workshop model; weights estimated from its volume.
The piece and its story
Who is Saint Joseph beside Mary and Jesus?
Joseph is the husband of Mary and, in Christian tradition, the father of Jesus in terms of family and law, not of begetting. The Gospel of Matthew (1, 16-25) tells how Mary conceives through the action of the Holy Spirit, and how Joseph receives the mission to give the child the name Jesus, which he accomplishes. In his catechesis of 5 January 2022, Pope Francis reads this gesture as the expression of legal fatherhood. In Patris corde (8 December 2020), he presents Joseph as the husband of Mary and adoptive father of Jesus. Choosing this medal is therefore choosing a figure of a father defined by what he does: name, welcome, remain with his own.134
What does the Gospel tell us about Joseph's welcome of Mary?
Matthew 1, 19 describes Joseph as a just man: he does not wish to expose Mary publicly. After the dream recounted in the following verses, he takes his wife into his home. These are two concrete gestures, a restraint followed by a welcome into the house, which give precise content to the word 'welcome'. Catholic interpretation sees in this a father who receives what he had not foreseen. Patris corde develops this idea by speaking of welcome and creative courage in the face of the unforeseen. For those going through an unexpected family situation, this passage offers a sober point of reference, which each person remains free to interpret in their own way.13
Why is Saint Joseph associated with the protection of the family?
Because Matthew (2, 13-15) attributes to him an act of sheltering. An angel warns him in a dream that Herod is seeking the child to have him destroyed; Joseph rises during the night and takes Jesus and his mother to Egypt. This episode is called the flight to Egypt. This Gospel narrative is distinct from what the medal shows: it explains the origin of the expression 'protector of the family'. Protection here takes the form of attention, responsibility and a decision to act without delay. The spiritual significance of this role belongs to Catholic tradition, which invokes Joseph as guardian of the Holy Family.245
What becomes of Joseph after Egypt?
Matthew 2, 19-23 tells of the return after Herod's death. Fearing to settle in Judea, Joseph withdraws to Galilee and settles in Nazareth. His concern for the safety of his family thus continues in his choice of a place to live. In his catechesis of 5 January 2022, Francis describes fatherhood as a responsibility exercised by caring for a child, and connects Joseph to welcome through adoption. He also invokes him for children and for couples who wish to have them. This family devotion can shed light on the choice of a medal dedicated to this saint.24
For whom should you choose a Saint Joseph Medal?
Nothing imposes a single reason. You may give it to a father to thank him, choose it to accompany the arrival or expectation of a child, or keep it as a reminder of your faith and attachment to the home. These meanings are personal: they arise from your story, not from the jewel itself. A few words slipped with the gift, a specific memory, a gesture you admire in the person who receives it, are enough to give it its meaning. The medal promises nothing; it bears a figure and what you put into it.4
Which metal should you choose for this medal?
Start with the meaning you are looking for, then the metal the person likes to wear. The medal is offered in 18ct yellow gold, 925 silver and 925 silver vermeil, that is, 925 silver covered with gold. To extend the family theme, you can compare it with the Virgin Mary with Jesus Medal, which evokes the other figure in the Gospel scene.
Your questions
- Can it be worn daily?
- Yes, a medal is happily worn every day as a discreet reminder of your faith or a family bond. Gold, silver and vermeil are chosen according to your habits and the care you wish to give them.
The collection