Saint Joseph, Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Holy Trinity Church), Graz, Austria

Dreifaltigkeitskirche (Trinity Church), Graz, Austria 3

The spouse of the Virgin Mary and the foster father of Jesus gets a supporting role on the front of the Dreifaltigkeitskirche. He’s holding a stick of blooming lilies – a sight you may see on other European churches.

Joseph & The Staff of Lilies

There’s an apocryphal story that Mary’s husband was chosen by God. As the widowers of Israel gathered around, a dove flew forth from the aged Joseph’s walking stick. In later legends, the dove was converted to flowers. Lilies in Christian art often indicate the purity of the Virgin Mary.