Devotion to St. Joseph has existed since the early Church, but relatively few official prayers have been composed that all Catholics intuitively know.
For example, nearly every Catholic knows how to pray the Hail Mary prayer, as it has been promoted, along with the Rosary, for many centuries.
Prayers to St. Joseph, on the other hand, have rarely achieved such status, and most of the prayers we have to St. Joseph were composed in the 19th or 20th centuries.
Hail Joseph prayer
Despite the lack of prayers to St. Joseph, there does exist a complement to the Hail Mary prayer that everyone knows. It's called the "Hail Joseph" prayer, and takes a similar formula.
For those who do not know this prayer, here is how it is printed in many prayer books. It is difficult to trace down the author, but it was likely composed at some point in the 19th or 20th century:
Hail, Joseph Son of David, the just and the chaste, Wisdom is with you; Blessed are you among all men and blessed is Jesus, the fruit of Mary, your faithful spouse.
Holy Joseph, worthy foster-father and guardian of Jesus Christ and of the holy Church, pray for us sinners and obtain divine Wisdom for us from God, now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
Pope Francis composed a similar prayer for his apostolic letter, Patris corde:
Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,
Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To you God entrusted his only Son;
in you Mary placed her trust;
with you Christ became man.
Blessed Joseph, to us too,
show yourself a father
and guide us in the path of life.
Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,
and defend us from every evil. Amen.
