Thank you to all of the volunteers and attendees of the 16th annual St. Joseph Altar Celebration, held at the Italian-American Cultural Center of Iowa on March 18th and 19th, 2013.

Doors opened at 5:30 PM on Monday, March 18th. Msgr. Frank Chiodo, pastor of St. Anthony parish in Des Moines, blessed the altar following the children's "tupa tupa" (knocking) pageant. A traditional Lenten meal was then served family style after the blessing.

Altar visitations continued on Tuesday, March 19th, the feast of St. Joseph, patron of families and laborers. Refreshments were provided during the day, and a luncheon was served from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. The celebration concluded with the incineration of petitions.

Both days were open to the public free of charge, while a free-will offering was accepted. All attending either of the celebrations were given a gift bag containing a St. Joseph prayer card, St. Joseph medal, blessed bread and the traditional "lucky" fava bean. All proceeds, as well as the fruits, vegetables, breads, pastries and financial contributions were distributed to the St. Joseph Shelter, the Bidwell Center and the Catholic Worker House.