Jesuit Father James M. Hayes, an associate chaplain at the College of the Holy Cross, compared St. Francis Xavier to Christ and held the saint up as an example and intercessor for people today.

Pilgrimages, devotions and holy images are among ways local Catholics are celebrating the Year of St. Joseph, which Pope Francis declared on Dec. 8.

The St. Joseph shrine in the fourth-grade class at St. Joseph School in Webster is unique. It is based on the devotion to the “Sleeping Saint Joseph.”

“As a pastor, I’m very thankful and edified,” Father William Schipper said, “about how much people appreciate and are supportive of things we’re trying to do to help them stay connected to each other, to the sacraments and to God.”

Local students’ March for Life signs were appreciated by pro-lifers around the country, and five students are being awarded prizes for their work.