Avoid the Black Friday Crowds & Support Your Local Monastery

[Luigi]

There's a thread in the Debate Table about Black Friday, shopping, etc. It made me think of alternatives to the standard consumerist-marketing-advertising-mall-madness approach. 

Many monasteries sell the work of their hands to support themselves. A lot of those monasteries now have online stores, although some have in-person shopping only. Consider purchasing your Christmas gifts from a monastery! You will be supporting them; if you shop in-person or directly on their web site, you'll learn more about them; and you'll like the work of their hands! *Order well in advance - sometimes they run out of product!* And, of course, many monasteries still offer perpetual enrollment cards, spiritual bouquet cards, and handmade items, but on a smaller scale than those listed below. Shop local! Shop Church!

I'll start, but feel free to add other sources you like. 

1. Monastery Greetings – http:// https://www.monasterygreetings.com/   This is a central website that carries goods from many (but not all) monasteries across the country. You support those monasteries by patronizing this site, and one-site-shopping might be easier for you. But you don't learn much about the individual communities. The web sites below are all direct to the communities. There is some overlap among the communities - in other words, one Trappist monastery might offer their own goods plus some from other Trappist monasteries. 

2. Genesee, NY - Trappist Monks. Monks Bread, biscotti, crackers, all in a variety of flavors. Some stores across the country carry their bread, but you have to scout around for it. Their products can also be sold for fundraising - they send you catalogs, you take orders from parishioners-organizations-friends-family, you place the master order, they ship it you, you subdivide it and deliver it your clients, and you keep a portion of the profits. https://monksbread.com/

3. Gethsemani, KY - Trappist Monks. Cheese, fruitcake (with or without Kentucky bourbon), fudge (several flavors, with or without nuts, with or without Kentucky bourbon). This is an extensive web site - look for the menu across the top of the web page. I say "look for it" because it's not particularly obvious.https://www.gethsemanifarms.org/

4. Ava, MO - Trappist Monks. Fruitcake. Only fruitcake. But very good fruitcake - I'm a living witness! Full (2#) or half (#1). These were originally Trappist monks, and a few of the original monks will continue to live there until they die, but the monastery is now officially Cistercians from Viet Nam. The order is growing so rapidly in Viet Nam that they can't build/expand monasteries fast enough. They made a deal with the Ava Trappists and are continuing fruitcake production. https://www.assumptionabbey.org/fruitcakes

5. Spencer, MA - Trappist Monks. Fruit preserves, jellys, etc. And beer, but I don't know if they can ship that. Their preserves are also sold in some stores across the country, but you have to scout around for them.   https://trappistpreserves.pairsite.com/

6. Dubuque, IA - Trappistine Nuns. Caramels, mints, etc. Good stuff! I'm a living witness. They also have a gift-of-the-month plan. https://monasterycandy.com/

7. Redwoods, CA - Trappistine Nuns. Creamed honey in six flavors. Good stuff! I'm a living witness.   https://store.redwoodsabbey.org/collections/honey

8. Conception, MO - Benedictine Monks. This is The Printery House, and you may already receive their catalog. They have cards for all occasions, stationery, books, Advent items, Christmas items, and Catholic Kitchen Sinks (I believe). https://www.printeryhouse.org/

9. Subiaco, AR - Benedictine Monks. Red and green Habanero sauces, peanut brittle (I've never understood the point of peanut brittle), soap, handmade items in wood, and beer (although I don't know if they ship that).   https://www.countrymonks.biz/

10. St. Benedict, LA - Benedictine Monks. A full array of Catholic goods, plus honey harvested from their own bees (not always available), soap, and I don't know what all else. https://stjosephabbeygiftshop.ecwid.com/

11. Richardton, ND - Benedictine Monks. This in in-person shopping only. I include it as an example. And for people who might be traveling through North Dakota in the foreseeable future. https://assumptionabbey.com/

12. Mobile, AL - Visitation Nuns. Another example of in-person shopping only. They're famous for their Heavenly Hash candy, their chocolate mint squares, and their hand-sewn linens. https://www.visitationmonasterymobile.org/

13. Summit, NJ - Dominican Nuns. Candles, soaps, lip balm, hand creams, etc. They're pretty well known on Phatmass.   https://summitdominicans.3dcartstores.com/

14. Amity, OR - Brigittine Monks. Deluxe chocolates - fudge (9 flavors!) and truffles. https://www.brigittine.org/

15. Meeteetse, WY - Carmelite Monks. Mystic Monk Coffee. You can buy directly from them, but it's also available through a number of other outlets. https://www.mysticmonkcoffee.com/

[tinytherese]

26 minutes ago, Luigi said:

1. Monastery Greetings – http:// https://www.monasterygreetings.com/   This is a central website that carries goods from many (but not all) monasteries across the country. You support those monasteries by patronizing this site, and one-site-shopping might be easier for you. But you don't learn much about the individual communities. The web sites below are all direct to the communities. There is some overlap among the communities - in other words, one Trappist monastery might offer their own goods plus some from other Trappist monasteries.

The link just goes to this thread. Here's the real one. https://www.monasterygreetings.com/

[Luigi]

1 minute ago, tinytherese said:

The link just goes to this thread. Here's the real one. https://www.monasterygreetings.com/

THANKS! I don't know what I did wrong, but I'm glad you caught it and fixed it so quickly!

[Hna.Caridad]

An article that lists additional options:

https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/us-sisters-sell-gifts-made-their-hands-and-hearts?utm_source=Global+Sisters+Report&utm_campaign=eaa0f9ca57-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_12_05_10_28&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_86a1a9af1b-eaa0f9ca57-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]