How a forgotten nun’s visions shed ‘new light’ on the life of St. Joseph

From there, the reader accompanies Joseph as he exults in the Incarnation within Mary’s womb, endures trials on the way to Bethlehem, weeps for joy as he holds the Savior of the world in his arms, sings hymns of praise to God with Mary, works with the child Jesus in his workshop, and continually abandons himself to the will of God in the face of uncertainties.

While the Church does not consider it obligatory to believe private revelations as a matter of faith, the book has received an imprimatur and nihil obstat from the Vatican, officially declaring it free from doctrinal and moral error.

Pascal Parente, a professor at the Catholic University of America, translated the 18th-century manuscript into English.

“The account of St. Joseph’s life … was not intended essentially to provide exegetical or historical instruction but rather to serve…