St joseph statue for selling your house

The folklore is well known: Need to sell a house? Bury a statue of St. Joseph in the yard. Maybe wrapped in a cloth. But it must be upside down, near the “For Sale” sign, facing the house. Or facing away from the house, near the road. Or near flowers, because he likes that.

On what exactly is to be done, the practice’s “authorities” are conflicting. So is its provenance: Some say it goes back to St. Andre Bessette, a religious brother in Montréal at the turn of the 20th century, who “planted” St. Joseph medals in a property his monastery wanted to buy. Others say it began somehow in the 1970s.

Some realtors provide instructions on their website about how to bury the statue, with testimonials from people who say it worked for them. An entire website, st-josephstatue.com, is dedicated to the practice, with a mission “to help all believers to sell their houses.” Amazon.com sells several statues for the purpose, including, for $6.72, a “St. Joseph Statue Home Seller Kit” made in the USA by veterans. Another seller offers 3-inch, beige, plastic St. Joseph statues in bulk.

St. Joseph has long been understood as a patron of the home, but when it comes to burying his statue: Don’t, said Father Donald Calloway, an expert on the saint, in his book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father.” He said the practice “concerns” him.

“Statues, unlike medals, are not made to be buried,” said the priest, who is a member of the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and lives in Steubenville, Ohio. “Statues represent a person, and are meant to be venerated above ground, not buried in the ground.”

He continued, “Whatever you do, never bury a statue of St. Joseph upside down. People sometimes do this bizarre practice as a form of spiritual bribery, promising to turn the statue of St. Joseph right side up only if their home is sold. Such a practice is akin to treating a statue of St. Joseph as a talisman or a good luck charm. St. Joseph is your spiritual father, not a trinket.”

Father Tom Margevicius agrees. The director of worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he said the practice smacks of superstition, not faith.

“What makes me think it would happen faster if I do a ‘St. Joseph thing,’ than it would have otherwise if I just talk to God about it?” Father Margevicius asked. “So, do I not trust in God’s care for me and doing what he knows is best for me? So, instead of surrendering myself to the providential care of the Lord, I try to manipulate factors that are ordinarily beyond my control.”

Because something involving a saint may seem like a “Catholic” practice, or even a sign of devotion to St. Joseph, some Catholics have likely buried a statue in ignorance, without giving it much reflection, he said. When Father Margevicius’ parents were selling their house in Cleveland, Ohio, 15 years ago, his brother buried a statue in the yard. Father Margevicius dug it back up. When the house soon sold, his brother credited the buried statue, not knowing it had been moved from the dirt to the fireplace mantle.

For Catholics who really believe the statue would influence the course of events, Father Margevicius advises a soul search, and perhaps a conversation with a spiritual director or other faith mentor about what stands in their way of trusting God’s providence.

And when selling — or buying — a house, rather than turning to a superstition, even meant in good fun, Catholics should make their petition known to their merciful Father, Father Margevicius said. They may also consider earnest prayers for St. Joseph’s intercession, including some in Father Calloway’s book.

Those with a St. Joseph statue should put it someplace where it can be seen and honored, he said.

“Upside-down statues don’t sell houses,” Father Margevicius said. “Instead of turning away from God and going for superstitious solutions to my problems, the more intense I feel, the more intense should be my prayer to God.”

Tags: Burying statue, Father Calloway, Folklore, For Sale, Picks, Realtors, St. Joseph, St. Joseph Statue Home Seller Kit, Upside down

Saint Joseph is considered one of the patron saints of the Catholic Church. Therefore, Catholics have frequently devoted themselves to the protection and favor that they believe comes from St. Joseph in their everyday lives, including when it comes to selling their house.

Let’s take a look at the practice of burying saints for selling houses, including when it began and why some homeowners feel burying miniature statues of patron saints like Saint Joseph can help them sell their homes.

History of Burying Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph is a well-known patron saint of laborers and fathers. The legend of the immobilization of Saint Joseph has gained popularity over the years.

Sellers who believe in the powers of Saint Joseph have buried tiny statues of him upside down near the “For Sale” signs in their yards for years. While nobody knows who started this practice, the goal of burying the statue on the property was to encourage the saint to sell their house. That is why many potential buyers are looking at Saint Joseph sellers.

Years after this tradition started, vendors are still burying miniature statues of Saint Joseph to try to boost their luck with selling their homes. Real estate agents have started using this practice as a marketing tool for buyers.

St. Joseph Statue Selling House Instructions

You might be looking for a Saint Joseph home seller as you begin the process of selling your home. You can find the statue at Christian shops, on Amazon, or on other websites that specialize in selling miniature statues. The Saint Joseph statue includes instructions and prayers.

How to Bury the Saint Joseph Statue

There are numerous suggestions and arguments on the proper way to bury your St. Joseph statue when selling your home. Here are some of the suggestions:

• Bury your Saint Joseph statue upside down near the For Sale sign.
• Bury the statue near and facing the road or near the back of the house; it’s believed that doing so will indicate that you are ready to leave the property.
• If you live in a condo or a property without a yard, bury the Saint Joseph statute in a flowerpot at the front door.
• Try, if possible, to bury the statue 12 inches deep. If you wish to avoid burying a holy statue, you can place it in your house on a window sill.
• Once the statue is placed, pray to the saint wherever you’ve buried it until the house is sold.

Once your home sells, you can retrieve the statue. Some warn that leaving the figure buried can curse the house with a continuous buying and selling loop.

What To Do After the Statue is Buried?

Saint Joseph house sale kits can be a good investment because they come with instructions. There is no precise protocol to follow when using this method as long as the seller has faith and correctly recites a prayer every day so that Saint Joseph knows that someone needs his help selling their property.

Helpful Tips to Sell Your House with Saint Joseph

As you for Saint Joseph to act, consider a few other practical techniques for drawing potential buyers to your house:

• Fix up the lawn where the statue is buried to increase your home’s curb appeal while giving good energy to St. Joseph underground.
• Consider painting your front door crimson in honor of Saint Joseph.
• Pray that Saint Joseph looks at the steps of the home purchase process.
• When it is time to show your house to possible buyers, recite a special prayer to the saint to increase the odds that your property will sell.
• There are professionals who have experience selling houses! It might also be time to think about hiring someone if your previous selling efforts have been unsuccessful.

It is important that you remain aggressive in your efforts to sell your house. Without potential buyers, praying won’t do much, and faith without action is pointless. Your prayers and the work you do to enhance the likelihood for sell show your dedication and initiative.

Conclusion

If you’re considering using the Saint Joseph method to sell your house, go for it! Keep in mind that your prayers to the saint are just one of several ways you can tap into to help sell your house.