St. Joseph Prayer to Sell Your Home in Portland
If you’re a Portland home seller, we wouldn’t blame you for feeling daunted by this fall real estate market. As of September 2019, new listings were down nearly 8% from last year, according to the Portland-area RMLS, and Portland area home prices have also gone down by 2.1% in the past year. Meanwhile, the average number of days a home spends on the market before the right buyer comes along is up to 52 days. When it gets tough to sell a home, we often get asked, “Who is the Saint that is supposed to help your sell your home?”
Clearly, home sellers who need to move their home this year are going to have to be patient. And while usual Portland real estate agent advice holds true (price the home correctly for the market, maximize curb appeal and use a Realtor with an excellent marketing package), some have asked us about a more unconventional approach.
History of St. Joseph
Even if you’re not a Christian or Catholic or part of that tradition, you may have heard of Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ earthly parents. As the story goes, because of his great faith, Joseph became a saint in the Catholic tradition, meaning that, like other saints, he can be offered specific prayers, and his statue can be placed in strategic locations to help with life events and ensure general well being.
Because St. Joseph is known as the saint of not only fathers and families, but also carpenters and bursars (people who are responsible for big financial transactions), it makes sense that people would turn to St. Joseph for some divine influence on their home sale.
Where to Bury St. Joseph to Sell Your Home
In the US, St. Joseph has been called into service for real estate transactions for at least three decades, according to snopes.com. Here’s how it works: Hopeful homeowners purchase a statuette of St. Joseph, which are usually a few inches tall and depict him in beard and robe, holding baby Jesus. Then they wrap him in some kind of cloth or plastic, and bury him in the yard. Traditionally, St. Joseph should be dug up again once the home sells, and placed on the mantle of the sellers’ new home to watch over the home and family.
The theory is that St. Joseph doesn’t want to be underground, so he’ll speed along the home sale process to earn his place on the mantle.
St Joseph’s Prayer to Sell Your Home
In addition to burying the statuette, some home sellers may wish to recite a special prayer to St. Joseph to help manifest the right buyer. The prayer is traditionally recited for nine consecutive days. While it doesn’t refer to home sales directly, it does specify a request for “spiritual blessings”. Sometimes selling as home is an emotional relief as well as a financial one, so we think it counts as a spiritual blessing! Here is the text of the prayer released in 1950 by Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh:
O Saint Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in you all my interests and desires.
O Saint Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession, and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, So that, having engaged here below your heavenly power, I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most Loving of Fathers.
O Saint Joseph, I never weary contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms; I dare not approach while He reposes near your heart. Press Him in my name and kiss his fine head for me and ask him to return the Kiss when I draw my dying breath.
Saint Joseph, Patron of departed souls – pray for me. (Mention your intention) Amen.
Where to find St. Joseph in Portland
Oregon is home to some 400,000 Catholics, according to the regional Archdiocese. In Portland, immigration has boosted the number of Latino, Vietnamese, and Filipino communities, bringing more Catholic churches and religious goods stores to the region. If you’re looking for a St. Joseph statue to bury, you won’t have to look far in Portland.
