Q: We recently sold our house thanks to St. Joseph’s intercession. We buried a statue in the front yard and unearthed it once the house was sold. While moving, the head of the statue broke off. Is it OK to simply glue it back on? (Location withheld)

A: Yes, it’s fine just to glue it back on!

Generally, we say that devotional objects, especially blessed devotional objects, should be treated with a certain degree of respect (e.g., worn or damaged devotional objects should be disposed of reverently and not simply thrown out with the regular trash). Carefully repairing a St. Joseph statue is very much in line with this kind of reverence.

But devotional objects such as statues and images of saints aren’t magical or holy in and of themselves. In a similar way to how family photos can help us recall our loved ones, images of saints remind us of who we are, as the family of the people of God.

In terms of the specific custom of associating a statue of St. Joseph with real estate transactions, we recall St. Joseph’s role as the provider and protector of the Holy Family. St. Joseph made sure that Our Lord and Our Lady always had a roof over their heads, and so it makes sense for us to turn to him when we need help in arranging a safe and comfortable home for our own families.

Jenna Marie Cooper, who holds a licentiate in canon law, is a consecrated virgin and a canonist whose column appears weekly at OSV News. Send your questions to [email protected].