The Diocese of Orlando celebrated the feast day of St Joseph, who was Jesus' earthly father, on Saturday by posting a plea to follow his example.

"Today we celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary," the diocese said in a March 19 Facebook post. "May St. Joseph encourage us to follow His example of obedience to God's will. St. Joseph, pray for us!"  

St. Joseph, a carpenter, was engaged to Mary when she became pregnant with Jesus, a release on Catholic.org said. Even though he knew the baby wasn't his, he also knew that adulterous women could be stoned to death. Rather than let Mary suffer that fate, he decided he would send her quietly away. Before he did, however, an angel visited him and told him that he should take Mary as his wife, because the child she carried was the son of God. Joseph trusted the angel and married Mary. 

Soon after Jesus was born, Joseph protected his infant son from King Herod after an angel warned him in a dream that the king was planning a violent plot, a report on Britannica.com said. Joseph took his wife and child and fled to Egypt, where they waited until the danger had passed before returning to Nazareth. 

Since he is not mentioned in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion, it is believed that Joseph died before that time.

Joseph—the patron saint of the Universal Church, unborn children, fathers, workers, travelers, immigrants and happy deaths—is celebrated twice yearly: for the Solemnity of Joseph on March 19, and for the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker on May 1, a report on OfficeHolidays.com said.