Saint Joseph, The Home seller

In the 1700s in Europe, communities of nuns appealed to Saint Joseph to help them find land for a convent. They did this because in the New Testament, Joseph—the carpenter father of Jesus and husband of Mary—had to move multiple times to protect his divine son. Joseph knew something about moving, and especially moving under pressure.

Thus, the nuns felt Saint Joseph was a good saint to pray to in securing their next home. They would bury a Saint Joseph medal in the ground and ask for God’s blessing. Over time, the tradition changed to burying a statue instead of a medal. Thus sprang a belief— common among some Catholics even today—that when you are selling a home, one way to secure God’s blessing and make it happen quickly is to bury a Saint Joseph statue on the property. (One of the oddities about this belief is that you’re supposed to bury the Saint Joseph statue upside down!)

Of course, many people doubt that such actions have anything to do with reality. But faith is built on belief. And belief often has little connection to what may be deemed rational. I can attest that my sister—who recently put her house up for sale—was able to secure a contract quickly after she buried Saint Joseph right under the “For Sale” sign. Cause and effect? It’s all about what you believe is true. Next time you’re thinking about moving, maybe you’ll want Saint Joseph’s help.