In 1955, Pope Pius XII instituted the Feast of St Joseph the Worker as an intentional answer to the Communist inflected “International Workers’ Day”. His purpose was to reclaim the nature and purpose of work, rooted in a proper understanding of God, man and society. Pius affirmed the dignity of work without the pernicious baggage of atheistic materialism. While the 1 May feast celebrates St Joseph, it is also an opportunity to reflect upon work as a participation in the creative nature of God. God is the first “ working man”, and His work gives us a foundation for understanding the role of labour in our own lives.