Disposing of statues

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Ericoltk

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Hi I’m new to this site, I have a dilemma? I received some religious statues that belonged to my parents. Their like 60+ old, I have no room for them. The church doesn’t want them, niether do any of my siblings. Don’t know if they have been blessed. Ive read breaking them up or
 
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You could sell or give them to others who might want them. If not, you should bury them as opposed to putting them in the trash.
 
I wouldn’t break them up, someone will want them. Many churches or religious orders such as Little Sisters of the Poor have annual tchotcke sales or rummage sales, and those would fit right in as donations to be sold. Also, some orders collect those sorts of things and send them to missions or give them to poor people who can’t afford statues of their own. You could also ask your church if there’s a place where you could just leave them in the vestibule with a sign on them, “Free Statues”, and people who would like one can “adopt” one to take home.
 
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@maximilian75 was recently looking for inexpensive statues. Perhaps the two of you could work something out.
 
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Actually, there are people right on this forum posting threads about where can I get cheap statues and that sort of thing. College students and people with limited incomes often would like a statue.
 
Thanks for your reply, No one wants them. I have nowhere to bury them. I live in a townhouse all cement. They could be cremated, so expensive they want $400. I live on a fixed income. I thought about donating them to the Goodwill, I’m afaid they’ll throw them away?
 
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Goodwill would be fine. You could perhaps place them in a Catholic church vestibule with a “free, please take” sign.
 
I don’t recommend Goodwill because many of their stores now do not want used items because they sell a lot of Walmart and Target overstock. They have gotten real fussy about what they will take.
Other places like Purple Heart (veterans charity) will probably take them, and even pick them up, but you are running some risk that they will be used in an irreverent way by “artists” etc (I have seen what happens to crucifixes dropped off at resale shops).

I would really recommend that you either donate them to some religious rummage sale, or that alternatively you leave them in a church vestibule with a “Free statues, please take” sign.

People are always leaving stuff like that at church. The other week I found a large crucifix in the pew of the type that had obviously been put on some deceased person’s casket for the funeral. People leave rosaries and prayer books too.
 
Now they lock the church up, at least mine
 
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I have a similar question. We bought a house last year. When we first viewed the house there were statues and crucifixes in different rooms, so it was probably a Catholic family. We didn’t meet them unfortunatelly as the last member of the family had died, which was why the house was for sale.

We would have liked to keep some of those statues and crucifixes but the agenty said they had already been promised to somebody along with all the other furniture and would be cleared out before we moved in. All he gave us was one crucifix. It’s made out of rather ugly plastic that looks as if it was spray painted gold but more than half of the gold has flaked off and the plastic underneath is rather ugly. Also, the feet are broken off and the stem of the cross is bent in a place where somebody glued it back together…

Is this a worthless peice of tat I can just throw away and replace by a nice crucifix? My wife says she wants to take it down and store it. To me putting it in some place where it gets forgotten is just as bad as tossing it out. Seeing it was glued shows somebody once cared about it. I also feel bad in a way seeing I asked for it. Now I can’t really just get rid of it. On the other hand I feel it is in such poor state and so worthless that they didn’t really want it anyway.

What’s the best thing to do?
 
“Ericoltk”. I know that you said your church doesn’t want the statues, but is there any Catholic church in the area who might? They might be an nice gift for people taking part in RCIA classes. New wooden statues can be really expensive $200+ for a 11" statue and also some people like me prefer older items. Something nice about the idea of not buying new and just be the current caretaker rather than owner.

“Cirdan_XII” If it was me I would parcel it up and store it some place. Better that than have it destroyed.
 
Thanks for the information, there located in Minnesota, the shipping cost would be too mich., I’m on a fixed income
 
The crucifix must of ment something to them regardless how it looks? I read that you can bury it. My parents took very good care of them. A crematorium said they would cremate them for me but want $400. I would have loved that, thay way I could have them with me. but I can’t afford that.
 
Ericoltk said:
Thanks for the information, there located in Minnesota, the shipping cost would be too mich., I’m on a fixed income
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St. Vincent de Paul has chapters everywhere. Please call the St. Vincent de Paul in your town and see if they will pick up the items and redistribute them locally. Explain that you are on a fixed income and cannot ship them to Minnesota.
 
Catholic church teaching on disposing of Blessed items,

A blessed item is a sacramental, and can only be disposed of by: burying, Or by burning.
 
Drop them into a Charity shop yourself; such as st Vincent de Paul.

Or
Put them in your garden on display (like a little prayer grotto).
 
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Put them up on an online advert as free; but that the person must collect them from your location in person.
 
I’m hoping I’m not suggesting something against CAF rules, but if you were to post pictures of them here and just ask that shipping costs be covered, I’m sure there are plenty of CAF members who would love to add to their collection. Those old statues are real gems, with quality and workmanship we don’t see today, and can be very hard to find.

You’d be helping others grow in their faith - seems a fitting tribute to your parents’ memory.
 
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