Bury a Statue of St. Joseph for the Intention of Selling a House?

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TimothyH

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I was in the local Catholic store the other day when a woman came in asking for a statue of St. Joseph to be buried. I asked her why she would bury a status of St. Jospeh and she said it was done for the intention of selling a house and that it was to be buried upside-down.

I had never heard of such a thing but the proprietor said that he sold at least one every day and they went on to swap stories about this or that person who sold their home right away.

Is there background to this? Having lived in New York for most of my life, I have the feeling that it is an Italian thing. Why upside down? Do you remove it after the house sells?

I learn something new about Catholicism every day. 🙂

-Tim-
 
In my culture, they say that if you have an upside down statue of Saint Joseph, it will get you a boyfriend/girlfriend…Lol
 
It’s a superstitious practice that should be discouraged.
 
CatholicLife said:
It’s a superstitious practice that should be discouraged.
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The one we purchased when we were trying to sell our house came with a prayer card - and it was made very clear by the store staff that saying the prayer could assist with selling the house rather than the burying of the statue. Performing the practice of burying the statue is what led us to that prayer, so I think it can be a tradition that’s beneficial “tradition” if practiced in the right way.

FTR - tried to find and remove the statue after the house sold, but couldn’t locate it. So now it acts as a reminder every time we drive by the old place to offer another prayer to St. Joseph. 🙂
 
Did you hear about the family that buried the statue sideways? Someone bought the neighbor’s house.

:rotfl:

.
 
This has actually been discussed several times here and there does not seem to be any clear answer to when where or why the idea got started.

My own personal feeling is that it is most likely something that stems from the same sort of old “folk remedies” - charms and such that people held before they converted to Christianity.
My guess is that the Church (local) looked at this and similar ideas and practices and found no real harm in them so they did not ban them.

Is it a superstition?? I guess it is in a way because there is no church teaching or approved “revelation” concerning this practice…and certainly if one does it without a proper faith, it serves no right purpose.
But on the other hand, if one DOES have a good and proper faith, and this is done as an act stemming from that faith (and one’s culture), I cannot see the harm.

That said - I don’t think I could bring myself to bury a statue of any saint for this or any other reason (except if it were blessed and broken).

Just my 2 cents worth.

Peace
James
 
CatholicLife said:
It’s a superstitious practice that should be discouraged.
Click to expand...
I agree. While on retreat at a monastery the retreat master discussed that. Most of his topic was on spiritual warfare and he mentioned about the St. Joseph statue being buried as something superstitious and it should not be done. And yet, it has found its way into Catholic gift shops.

In our petitions prayer is sufficient!
 
TimothyH said:
I was in the local Catholic store the other day when a woman came in asking for a statue of St. Joseph to be buried. I asked her why she would bury a status of St. Jospeh and she said it was done for the intention of selling a house and that it was to be buried upside-down.

I had never heard of such a thing but the proprietor said that he sold at least one every day and they went on to swap stories about this or that person who sold their home right away.

Is there background to this? Having lived in New York for most of my life, I have the feeling that it is an Italian thing. Why upside down? Do you remove it after the house sells?

I learn something new about Catholicism every day. 🙂

-Tim-
Click to expand...

Please read this Ask an Apologist question answered by Father Vincent Serpa, chaplain of Catholic Answers, on why this practice is discouraged by the Church.
 
This tradition comes from the belief that St Joseph is the patron saint of fast movers. He had to get Jesus out of town to Egypt quickly to save Him from the Slaughter of the Innocents.

My wife and I had only been married a year and living in a new home when I lost my job. My very devout Catholic mother suggested it and we were able to sell our house rather quickly. I made sure to dig Joseph back up because I took him out of the very nice Nativity set my parents gave us for our 1st Christmas together.

Does God ever expect us to show him physical signs of our faith and love? Signs that are perpetuated by the Church?

Oh, and while this tradition is not officially supported by the Catholic Church, the statue is sold in many parish religious goods stores right off the narthex of many-many Catholic churches - which to a large majority of the laity equates official doctrine.
 
The main purpose of Catholic gift shops is to sell gifts. They are not the place to go for spiritual direction.
 
My Family did this with the intention of asking St. Joseph for intercession. The prayer card that came with the kit was a beautiful, respectful intercessory prayer and the instructions mentioned that some people believe placing the statue in different positions to aid the process. I could not disrespect St. Joseph so I put our statue in a plastic bag and buried him upright merely asking him to ‘bless this ground’.

It wasn’t until later when I tried to look up the original prayer that I found the more prevalent prayer on the internet which I find to be disturbing and offensive in its wording:

“Saint Joseph, I am going to place you in a difficult position with your head in darkness and you will suffer as our Lord suffered, until this [house/property] is sold. Then, Saint Joseph, i swear before the cross and God Almighty, that i will redeem you and you will receive my gratitude and a place of honour in my home.”

Not for me and my family. St. Joseph’s statue now proudly stands next to Our Lady’s statue in our front garden of our new home.
 
I think it’s a nice custom. I’m surprised you hadn’t heard of it, Timothy.

The story is that St. Theresa of Avila wanted to buy land so she could built a convent there, but the owner wouldn’t sell. She buried a statue of St. Joseph there and ask his intercession every day until the owner changed his mind. Then she bought it and built the convent.

Superstition? Bah. I suppose lighting candles in church is superstition to some people.
 
Rich_C said:
I think it’s a nice custom. I’m surprised you hadn’t heard of it, Timothy.

The story is that St. Theresa of Avila wanted to buy land so she could built a convent there, but the owner wouldn’t sell. She buried a statue of St. Joseph there and ask his intercession every day until the owner changed his mind. Then she bought it and built the convent.

Superstition? Bah. I suppose lighting candles in church is superstition to some people.
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I kinda feel the same way Rich, that if one is devout, prays fervently and with faith, that anything can be a help.

I wear a miraculous medal, and I guess to some that is a talisman or a charm or amulet, but with faith in Jesus it can be powerful.

The woman with the flow of blood touched Jesus’ tassel and was healed through her faith.

-Tim-
 
TimothyH said:
I kinda feel the same way Rich, that if one is devout, prays fervently and with faith, that anything can be a help.

I wear a miraculous medal, and I guess to some that is a talisman or a charm or amulet, but with faith in Jesus it can be powerful.

The woman with the flow of blood touched Jesus’ tassel and was healed through her faith.

-Tim-
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I agree with you. Sacramentals and pious practices can be a real aid to our faith, especially in such a hostile world filled with anti-Catholic imagery. As long as these things have been handed down, having been tested by our forefathers in the Faith, I’m not worried. I trust their sensus fidelum. I would be more skeptical if it were novel, I guess.
 
Rich_C said:
I agree with you. Sacramentals and pious practices can be a real aid to our faith, especially in such a hostile world filled with anti-Catholic imagery. As long as these things have been handed down, having been tested by our forefathers in the Faith, I’m not worried. I trust their sensus fidelum. I would be more skeptical if it were novel, I guess.
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I think it is OK as long as you don’t give credit to the statue, but to the intercession of the saint whom the statue represents.

You make a good point about things having been handed down. That is what the early Church did. They saw certain practices, prayers and ways of life which produced holiness, and others not so much. The practices, prayers and ways of life which were genuine bore fruit and became ordinary parts of our faith.

It is like the rosary. It has stuck around for so long not because it is cute or fun or just a pius custom, but because it bears fruit in people lives in very real and profound ways. The rosary would have been abandoned long ago if it didn’t. I use the rosary by way of example and not to start a discussion of the rosary.

We can’t give credit that the house sold to the statue, but to the intercession of St. Joseph himself.

-Tim-
 
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