One Catholic patron saint increasingly has a following, it's Saint Joseph.

Some home sellers and realtors swear by his powers.

St. Joseph is the Catholic patron saint of families and people in trouble. As Sister Judith McGuire of the Sisters of St. Joseph says, ?trouble is when you can't sell your house".

The National Realtors Association says this is the worst housing market in 10 years. Because of the slump, Catholic gift stores are seeing a huge increase in sales of the St. Joseph statue.

"The amount of success stories is just amazing. People have sold it in a few days. They have gotten their asking price. They have had more than one offer. He is extremely popular. We sell on average say 3 to 10 a day. We even have real estate agents come in and buy him", says Vickie Gannon of Gannon's Gift Store on Lorain Avenue in Fairview Park. The store sells home selling kits for as low as $3.99.

Internet Catholic stores, however, charge much more from $6.95 to $20.00.

According to Sister McGuire the power of Saint Joseph dates back to Europe hundreds of years ago, ?In Europe the nuns counted on him anytime they had any trouble not just having to sell property or buy property, they had their prayers to St. Joseph. Then they began burying medals and then wonderful things started to happen". "I think the people who came from Europe were so faith-filled they brought what those nuns had over there and began doing it over here".

According to some, there is a right way to bury St. Joseph. Most believe he should be planted upside down and facing the street. There seems to be some debate about whether the front or back of the house is best.

Included in most kits is a prayer card which must be faithfully said for 9 days.

Will it sell your home?

It does seem the one thing people are buying and burying is this patron saint.