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The church community of Our Lady of Ransom in Eastbourne welcomed a  new statue of St Joseph the Worker on his feast day earlier this month (1 May). Following Friday morning Mass, Fr Kevin Dring (pictured), Fr Charles Ezejide and members of the congregation processed to the church garden for a decade of the Rosary and the blessing of the newly sited statue.

St Joseph holding the Infant Jesus, originally sat in a side altar of a Catholic church in South-East London until - around the time of the millennium - a decision was made to refurbish and simplify the church interior, with marble altars, altar rails and most of the statues re-homed.

St Joseph was "adopted" by professional sculptor Peter Clarke, who installed the statue in his studio workshop in north Kent. Following Peter’s retirement last year a new home had to be found, with Eastbourne parishioner, Jean Peterken, bringing the statue into her home and lovingly restoring it, painting St Joseph in the colours of the saint’s scapular: purple and yellow.

The garden of Our Lady of Ransom was recently renovated by a team of enthusiastic parishioners, led by  parish music director, Maura Phipps, with parishioner and maintenance man, Mike Kelly, creating a tiled base for the statue in what is now call “St Joseph’s Bower”, which is surrounded by flowers.

St Joseph is venerated as the patron saint of workers, pilgrims, fathers, and carpenters, you can find out more about him on The God Who Speaks website.

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Many thanks to Jean Peterken for sharing this story with us. ‍