How to Bury St. Joseph

Burying the Statue

Buy a statue of Saint Joseph. Choose a small, simple statue so that the burial will be easier to perform. You can by saint statues at Catholic supply stores and online. The ideal height is between 3 and 4 inches (7.6 and 10 cm). Nowadays, you can even buy a St. Joseph “home selling kit” from retailers and some real estate offices. These kits usually come with a small statue of St. Joseph, a prayer card, and instructions on the practice.

Wrap the statue in protective cloth. Take a soft, clean washcloth or similar material and wrap it around the statue several time, covering all sides, including the top and bottom. Consider placing the wrapped statue in a resealable plastic bag, as well. You could also wrap the statue in plastic wrap or place it directly in the plastic bag without first wrapping it in a cloth. The idea is simply to protect it from as much dirt and damage as possible. Wrapping the statue is a matter of practicality, but more importantly, it is also a sign of respect. Even though you are burying his statue, St. Joseph is still a saint, so you should demonstrate a certain degree of respect for his likeness.

Bury the statue. Dig a hole in your yard that is deep enough to fit the entire statue. Place the wrapped statue inside, then fill the rest of the hole in with dirt. Note that any specifics concerning the exact placement of the statue vary depending on who you ask, so there is no one definitive choice. The most common tradition holds that you should bury the statue near the "For Sale" sign or near the road. Place the statue inside the hole upside-down and facing your house. Others insist that the statue should face the road to symbolize the act of leaving the home. Some traditions also suggest placing the statue right side up or lying on its back, pointing toward the house like an arrow. You could also consider placing the statue 3 feet (1 m) away from the rear of the house or in your rear yard flower bed.

Consider burying the statue in a flower pot. If you live in an apartment or a condominium, you may not have a yard that you can bury the statue in. Under these circumstances, you should bury the statue in a large flower pot. Place the flower pot on a deck, patio, or windowsill. The flower pot can have something growing in it, but this is not a strict necessity. Note that the rest of the tradition stays the same. You should still wrap the statue in protective cloth and treat it with the same degree of reverence.

Consider keeping the statue in your home. If the thought of burying a statue of St. Joseph seems disrespectful to you, consider placing the statue in your home, instead. Set the statue down in a window or on a counter in clear sight of the “For Sale” sign in your yard. When doing this, you do not need to wrap the statue in protective cloth. Burying the statue is a matter of tradition, not doctrine. There is no Catholic doctrine stating that burying a statue of St. Joseph will help you sell your house. Church teachings do suggest that calling for St. Joseph's intercession when selling your home can help, though, which is why keeping a statue of St. Joseph in your home during the sale would likely work just as well as burying the statue.

Saying a Prayer

Pray upon burial. As soon as you bury the statue, you should say a prayer to St. Joseph, asking for his intercession. The exact prayer can vary, and you can go with a pre-written prayer or a prayer from your own heart. Some prayers “threaten” St. Joseph, essentially stating that he should sell your home for you if he wants to get out of the ground. These prayers somewhat undermine the value of asking for intercession, however, so they are generally not preferred. Consider using a simple, humble prayer, like the following: "O Blessed St. Joseph, tenderhearted father, faithful guardian of Jesus, chaste spouse of the Mother of God, I pray you to join with me in praising God the Father through his divine Son who died on the cross and rose again to give us sinners new life. Through the holy name of Jesus, pray that we may obtain from the eternal Father the favor we ask for: our home sale. We have been unfaithful to the unfailing love of God the Father; beg of Jesus mercy for us his brothers and sisters. Amid the splendors of God's loving presence, do not forget the sorrows of whose who weep. By your prayers and those of your most holy spouse, our blessed Lady, may the love of Jesus answer our call of confident hope. Amen."

Say a prayer each day until the house sells. While saying a single prayer at the time of burial is good, repeating a prayer for intercession each day from that point on demonstrates a greater degree of faith and earnestness. You can say the same prayer each day or offer a different one.

Try a nine-day novena. Instead of saying a standard prayer each day, you could try saying a novena. A novena is a set of prayers recited over the course of nine days. There are different variations, but essentially, you say a different prayer each day and follow each prayer with an “Our Father.” Consider using the following novena: Day One: O God, guide of those who listen and helper of those who hear your voice, speak to me, as you did to St. Joseph, and help me accomplish the things you give me to do. Day Two: O God, you love your people and bless the ordinary lives we quietly live. As you blessed St. Joseph, bless what I do, however hidden and simple it may be, and let all I do be done with love. Day Three: O God, ever faithful, you remember us always and in time reveal your blessings. Help me trust in you, as St. Joseph faithfully trusted, and never let me lose faith in the wonderful gifts you promise me. Day Four: God of families, bless the family that's mine. Keep us safe from harm, and never let evil come between us. Let peace remain in our hearts. Day Five: O God, who loves children, be kind to our children today. Give them eyes of faith for seeing far, a loving heart for welcoming life, and a place always at your side. Day Six: God of our heavenly home, bless our home on earth. Let the spirit of Mary and Joseph rest at our table, shape our words and actions, and bring blessing to our children. Day Seven: God, our Father, give your fatherly spirit to those who are fathers now. Like Joseph, give them hearts of devoted love for their wives and children and strength for forgiveness and patience. Day Eight: Give shelter, O God, to those who need it, and bring together families divided. Give us enough to eat, and decent work to earn our bread. Care for us, O God. Day 9: Bless all families, O Lord, especially those in need. Remembering the life of your Son, we pray for the poor, for those who lack a good home, for those in exile. Grant them a protector like Joseph, O God.

Freeing the Statue

Dig up the statue when your house sells. As soon as the contract is signed and the final details are in order, remove the statue from its place in your yard. Unwrap the protective cloth and wash away any dirt that managed to get on the statue itself. According to legend, if you leave the statue in the yard, the new owners of the house will not be able to stay there for a long time. New owners will come and go until the statue is finally removed. While there may not be any proof to back this legend, removing the statue should at least be done as a sign of respect.

Give thanks. Offer a prayer of thanks—first to God, and then to St. Joseph for his intercession. You can offer a prayer from your heart and in your own words, or you could say a generic pre-written prayer of thanks. Either way, the important thing is to pray with sincerity. An example prayer of thanks would be: "Heavenly Father, I thank you for my life and everything you have bestowed upon me and upon all people, this day and every day. I thank you for the good and bad, the understanding of forgiveness, and your holy power, without which we would have nothing. I thank you this day for all your blessings, your gifts, your never ending love for us. Although we all are sinners, I ask you to forgive me every day for what I might have done wrong, that I might not have noticed. Even though we all come short of the glory of God, I thank you for the sacrifice of your only son Jesus Christ for all our sins. You and only you know us Father and you know if our hearts are true. So once again, I thank you with all my heart and soul. In the name of Christ I pray. Amen."

Display the statue in a place of honor in your new home. Since intercession to St. Joseph helped you sell your home, it is customary to display the statue you buried in your new home. Doing so demonstrates gratitude and reverence. The display does not need to be anything fancy. Simply sitting the statue on your mantel or desk will suffice.