Building A Parish Sacramentals Station

[Brother Adam]

It the age where our 60's liberal hippy church lay wanna-be clergy leaders have told us anything resembling the authentic Catholic faith is obsolete and Pre-Vatican II I am building something of a "sacramental" station for our parish. We have literature racks for books, tracks, and magazines, but I want another "rack" to fill with rosaries, holy medals, small crucifixes, scapulars, mantillas, and other sacramentals. What do you think? What else would you put in it?

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Brother Adam' timestamp='1290109435' post='2187881']
It the age where our 60's liberal hippy church lay wanna-be clergy leaders have told us anything resembling the authentic Catholic faith is obsolete and Pre-Vatican II I am building something of a "sacramental" station for our parish. We have literature racks for books, tracks, and magazines, but I want another "rack" to fill with rosaries, holy medals, small crucifixes, scapulars, mantillas, and other sacramentals. What do you think? What else would you put in it?
[/quote]

A simple description of how to use each one, and a handout of the letter written by the bishop a couple of weeks ago.

[Brother Adam]

what letter?

[CatherineM]

I'm fond of my home holy water font. They have cheap plastic ones, and of course the plastic bottles for holy water.

[let_go_let_God]

Also include that you are not charging for these items but a donation would be helpful.

God bless-
LGLG

[cmotherofpirl]

[quote name='Brother Adam' timestamp='1290110222' post='2187884']
what letter?
[/quote]
Somebody posted a letter here a few weeks back that was published to a parishioners from the bishop gently but firmly addressing their whining about their parish becoming faithful. It was awesome.

HAH you are the one who posted it
http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=109391&st=0&p=2185704&hl=+bishop%20+parish%20+&fromsearch=1&#entry2185704

[Brother Adam]

Okay. I just wasnt sure of the connection.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

To get ideas, many of the Web sites of various religious Communities, as well as large parishes/cathedrals/shrinea have gift shops. Also, many Web sites sell sacramentals at very low prices, and it may be that some would offer them to your church at wholesale prices.

Offering Rosaries made by young women who are trying to raise funds to enter religious life would be a nice gesture. Although I don't know the sources offhand, there are places on the Web that offer small booklets on "How to Say the Rosary" for very low prices or very cheaply, especially if you bought a large number. These could even be given away if a person purchased a Rosary.

The point made in an earlier post about about "donations" rather than than actually charging, at least for certain items, is an important one. I think many people would pay more for Rosaries, medals, etc. that were already blessed. However, as you know (but many people don't) if the items have been blessed you cannot sell them (or they "lose" their blessing), but, as I understand it, you could name a "suggested donation" for the item.

If there are special medals, such as those of the saint the church is named after, those might be popular. Also miraculous medals, scapulars, and St. Benedict medals seem to be very popular on the Web. (With scapulars there would be the issue of joining a scapular society, and also the issue of accepting donations rather than charging for blessed items--but these are not particularly difficult hurdles to overcome.) The store could even offer small statues, for example of the holy family, of popular saints, or the saint the church is named after.

Perhaps there is someone in the congregation with some retail experience who would be willing to lead a group interested in setting up a small "gift shop" with volunteers to work, for example, on Sunday mornings. With all that is available on the Internet, even a small gift shop could easily take special orders from members of the congregation who wanted something not normally carried by the gift shop, and would be willing to pay a small mark-up. In fact, when first communions and confirmations are held at the church, the gift shop could plan ahead and put in extra stock of special Rosaries and other sacramentals specifically for first communions, confirmations, etc. And, a keeping a small stock of small sacramentals for Baptismal gifts would probably be popular.

Another idea, although these are not sacramentals, but the Domican nuns of Summit, NJ sell wonderful soaps, lotions, etc. If a gift shop wants to stock some of these items, by contacting the monastery, the church's gift shop could buy at a 30% discount from the nuns, with no minimum amount of items required, and then sell the soaps, etc. in the gift shop at at the normal retail price.

Edited November 20, 2010 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[cmotherofpirl]

To build on Iggy's excelllent suggestions, you could also write up a list of catholic business resources online and good catholic businesses online as handouts.