Be Sure To Look For The ‘Authentic St. Joseph’ Label

Holy Fannie Mae, Batman!

Having trouble selling your home? Why, you definitely need some sort of good-luck charm or witchcraft, like a rabbit’s foot or a spell that turns prospective buyers who decline to bid into a newt. Or you can go for that time-tested superstitious charm, the St. Joseph statue.

Or, if you really want to sell your home, you can buy the authentic St. Joseph. Yes, the item at right has been given out by New Jersey realtor Pat Ciervo, who bought a box of statues last year and (assuredly) told his sellers to bury the statue in the backyard, as is the tradition. (St. Joseph handles the intercessions for the home when you’re trying to vacate it. When you lose something, St. Anthony is the one to call. And if you are in danger of being attacked by pirates, St. Albinus of Angers gets those prayers. He’s not as busy anymore.)

But it’s Abbott Church Goods owner Daniel Castonguay who sells ‘em in individual packages, and not just to Catholics or even Christians:

“When things get bad, people get religious,” said Daniel Castonguay, who runs Abbott Church Goods on Route 38 in Cherry Hill and also operates ourfather.com. “When the real estate market gets soft, people hear about it from friends and Realtors. We’ve even had Jewish people come in for them and joke that they’ll convert if it works.”

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