St. Joseph sells

According to Catholic folklore, a home where a St. Joseph statue is buried on the property will sell quickly and be blessed. Whether the house goes for the asking price, of course, is left to a higher authority.

But because so many homeowners of various religious backgrounds have turned to St. Joseph to bring in the buyers, real estate agents are scooping up the statues by the armload, employing St. Joe as yet another trick of the trade.

Religious stores are capitalizing on the phenomenon, too, selling prepackaged St. Joseph Home Selling Kits for about $8 (not to mention St. Joseph medals, saint cards, and key rings). Store managers say they struggle to keep the kits in stock.

Catholics say that because St. Joseph was able to move Jesus and Mary from harm's way many times, he knew something about successful relocation. He was also a carpenter and is the patron saint of that trade.

"I tell my clients, no matter what their background is, `Hey, it can't hurt,' " said Liz Schultz of Century21 North Shore in Peabody, the listing broker for Bova's four-bedroom Colonial. "I have sold many houses with St. Joe before, and the only thing I can say is, `Wow. This thing works.' "

Bova buried St. Joseph upside down near the for-sale sign on her lawn in August. Three weeks later, she was offered the asking price, and the couple who bought the home have allowed her to live there until March, when Bova's new house will be completed.

"Whether St. Joseph did it or not, I like to believe I needed to turn my luck around and he helped," Bova said. "Of course, he's still buried, because technically the house isn't sold yet, and until we all sign on the dotted line, I don't want to tempt fate."

St. Joseph has been so popular in the real estate world that tales abound about his effectiveness.

Even the Rev. Christopher Coyne, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, likes to tell the one about the frustrated seller who dug up the statue and threw it in the trash.

"Two days later, the dump was sold to developers," quipped Coyne.

"I also like the one about the people who buried St. Joseph sideways, with him looking at the house next door, then that house sold instead."

Coyne said that while there is no theological justification for the role patron saints play in the lives of worshippers -- nor is there any official pronouncement on how saints should be honored -- the church is well aware that people call on the saints for favors, and are comforted by that relationship.

He did note, however, that it is somewhat disconcerting to think of St. Joseph lying face-down beneath so many lawns.

"When we approach the Christmas season, especially, I wonder how many manger scenes are bereft of their St. Joseph because they are buried in the ground somewhere," Coyne said. "There are better ways to honor St. Joseph or even ask him for favors. We suggest a prayer instead."

Some do feel guilty about burying the statue, but the need to sell a house apparently outweighs those feelings.

Karen Carlson purchased her St. Joseph home-selling kit at

Holliston's Fatima Shrine in February, after her four-bedroom Colonial in Bellingham was on the market for nine months without a bite, even after the price was lowered. One day after she buried St. Joe upside down near the driveway, Carlson got an offer for the asking price. It made her a believer.

"I felt terrible about burying him, because it seemed so sacrilegious," Carlson said. "But I said to him, `Come on, do some work for me,' and he did. I tell everyone that angels do work for you."

Not everyone has instant results.

About a month and a half ago, John and Sheryl Mignanelli of Woburn buried a statue purchased by her mother, but there has been little interest in their two-family home on Union Street. Still, Sheryl Mignanelli swears that once St. Joe was buried, the rose bushes bloomed and their tenants moved out -- clearing the way for a sale.

"Those things alone were a blessing," said Sheryl Mignanelli.

"One couple came through recently and said they would call us back with an offer. We're waiting to hear from them. It's a good start."

Some brokers say St. Joseph works best when a homeowner procures the statue himself; others, such as Mary Jo Milano of Century21 North Shore in Lynnfield, keep plenty on hand for "problem homes."

Keenly aware that brokers must remain politically and religiously neutral, Milano introduces the idea of using a statue gently.

"I tell people how much luck other owners have had with St. Joseph, no matter what faith they are," said Milano, who sold five houses last year with the help of St. Joseph. "It could be coincidental, of course. Remember, I'm praying all the time too: `Please, let this house sell!' "

Bova said that once the sale of her house is official and the soil thaws, she'll dig up the statue and display it in the garden at her new home.

"I don't know if he'll make the garden grow, but I hope he'll watch over us," she said.

"Where we're doing new construction -- you know how that is. I might need someone to watch over me."