Superstitious....NOT
This is an old traditional Catholic practice, especially among religious and even saints.
Brother Saint Andre of Montreal Canada wanted to purchase land to build the oratory to
St. Joseph in Montreal so he, with a witness, took a medal of St. Joseph to the land he
wished to purchase and buried it there. He then prayed and got others to pray to St.
Joseph and make novenas.
The result....The oratory of St. Joseph
When there was a delay in building because of lack of money Bro. St. Andre placed
a statue of St. Joseph amid the construction and said if he wanted a roof over his
head he'd have to provide the $. He did.
Reading the lives of the saints you will find this practice
It was so common that it was even included in the 1930's movie "Come to the stable"
Know your Catholic history.
P.S. I believe St. Jude's hospital in the U.S. got the land when Danny Thomas did the same.