As Catholics prepare to celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, a voice from Edmonton is inviting the faithful to rediscover a spiritual giant whose quiet life still speaks with urgency today.
Ian Mahood—a lawyer and former seminarian—is the author of Prince, Patron, and Patriarch: The Litany of St. Joseph and the Dogma That Makes It Strong. His work offers a fresh theological lens on St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church, Canada, and the Archdiocese of Edmonton.
A Journey Shaped by Faith and Formation
Mahood’s path is anything but conventional. Raised Evangelical in Red Deer, his spiritual journey led him through Anglicanism and into the Catholic Church during law school in Halifax.
“I was drawn to the liturgical and sacramental life,” he recalls, describing a gradual but decisive conversion. Alongside his entry into Catholicism came a deeper question: a possible call to the priesthood.
That discernment led him back west to St. Joseph Seminary, where years of prayer, study, and reflection shaped his theological vision. “Seminary gave me the space to develop a kind of theological ‘language,’” he says. “I began to see the world through a lens that revealed the beauty of God and his creation.”
Though he ultimately discerned a call to marriage, Mahood remains deeply grateful for those years. “It was spiritually and intellectually enriching. That formation never really leaves you.”
The Hidden Saint for Modern Times
In an age marked by individualism and self-promotion, Mahood believes St. Joseph offers a compelling counterexample.
“He is a witness to family, self-sacrifice, and quiet fidelity,” he explains. “He’s universally relatable—a husband, a worker, a man of action.”
Joseph’s silence in Scripture, often overlooked, is central to his strength. For Mahood, this “hiddenness” is precisely what makes him so powerful.
“St. Joseph shows us that no life is too small to be great,” he writes. “God is not ashamed to call a carpenter his father—nor to call us his brethren.”
A Theology Rooted in Prayer
Mahood’s devotion to St. Joseph began in seminary, where the Litany of St. Joseph was prayed weekly—an experience that later shaped his book.
“The litany is one of the Church’s officially approved prayers,” he explains. “That means it’s not just devotional—it carries theological weight. Each title reflects a truth about his role in salvation history.”
Inspired by thinkers like Peter Kreeft and Cardinal Thomas Collins – Archbishop Emeritus of Toronto – Mahood seeks to bridge the gap between popular devotion and rigorous theology. “I wanted to ground devotion to St. Joseph in something deeper than sentiment,” he says. “The truths of the faith naturally give rise to devotion—they aren’t opposed.”
Family, Vocation, and Example
At the heart of Mahood’s reflections is a renewed emphasis on the family. “The Incarnation didn’t happen in isolation,” he notes. “It took place within a family. Joseph shows how central that is to God’s plan.”
He also points to Joseph’s decisiveness as a model for vocational discernment. “Trust in the goodness of God,” Mahood advises. “He wants to reveal His will. You can move forward with confidence, knowing He will provide the grace you need.”
On March 19, Mahood encourages Catholics to keep their observance simple: attend Mass, pray the Litany of St. Joseph, and reflect on the quiet strength of a man who changed history without ever speaking a recorded word.
In a culture that prizes visibility and recognition, his message is clear: holiness does not require the spotlight. Sometimes, it looks like a carpenter in the background—faithful, decisive, and entrusted with the greatest mysteries of all.
Prince, Patron, and Patriarch: The Litany of St. Joseph and the Dogma That Makes It Strong is available on Amazon, Scepter Publishers and Sunrise Marian Distribution
