Our Lady of La Vang : Patroness of Vietnam
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We laugh when friends say they are going to bury a statue of St. Joseph so their houses will sell quickly. It seems like a silly superstitution but actually it is rooted in a prayerful, Catholic tradition. St. Joseph is the patron saint of a happy home. He found shelter for Jesus and Mary in Bethlehem and he led them to safety when Herod threatened. St. Joseph keeps our homes safe. St. Andre' Bessette, Canada's first native-born saint, turned to St. Joseph when his order, the Congregation of the Holy Cross, made real estate transactions.
In the 1800s, the Holy Cross Congregation wanted to buy land on Montreal's Mount Royal but the owners of the land refused to sell. One day, Andre' Bessette suggested that a few of his brother priests climb Mount Royal with him to pray that St. Joseph would help them build a home there. They made the climb and buried St.Joseph medals on the land they wanted to buy. A short time later, the owners of the land decided to sell to the Congregation of the Holy Congregation so that they could build a monastery there. In 1931, the Holy Cross Congregation wanted to expand their church but they didn't have the money they needed. They prayed and buried a statute of St. Joseph on the potential site for their church and soon acquired the funds needed for construction. Today St. Joseph's Oratory, the world's largest shrine to St. Joseph, stands on that ground.
St.Andre' Bessette may have gotten the idea to bury medals from St. Teresa of Avila, a nun who lived in the 1500s. St. Teresa was said to have told nuns in her order to bury St. Joseph medals in the land they wished to acquire for a new convent.
When we bury a statute or medals of St. Joseph to make a real estate deal, we are actually praying that St. Joseph will give us safe shelter. We are also following the tradtion started by St. Andre' Bessette and St. Teresa of Avila.
To learn the origins of more Catholic traditions, read Cathoic Traditions and Treaures: An Illustrated Encyclopedia by Helen Hoffner. The book is published by Sophia Institute Press and is available at www.SophiaInstitute.com, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, EWTN Relgious Catalog, and other book sellers.
Helen Hoffner, Ed.D. is a professor at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the author of four books for Catholic audiences: The Cross: A Universal Symbol ( Marian Press, 2024), Catholicism Everywhere ( Sophia Institute Press, 2024), Catholic Traditions and Treasures ( Sophia Institute Press, 2018), and The Rosary Collector's Guide ( Schiffer Publishing, 2013). She has also written four books for teachers: The Elementary Teacher's Digital Toolbox ( Prentice Hall, 2006), Literacy Lessons K-8 ( Corwin Press, 2010), Reading and Writing Mysteries in Grades 4-8 ( Teacher Created Materials, 2006), and A Look at Realistic Fiction ( Teacher Created Materials, 2003). Dr. Hoffner has been invited to discuss her books on television programs of EWTN and the Catholic Faith Network as well as on radio stations across the United States and Canada.
