Gifts with Catholic themes are wonderfully abundant these days, making it easy to find the right present to honor Catholic milestones and feasts. Highlighted in Our Sunday Visitor’s annual Spring Gift Guide are Easter basket picks, Sacraments gift ideas and Mother’s Day and Father’s Day presents for all of the Catholics in your life. Check out Catholic art prints, cool vinyl stickers, recently published religious books, holy medals and much more.
Easter
Tiny Saints board books, written by Joe Klinker and illustrated by Manuel Corsi, are the perfect size for little kids’ Easter baskets. Choose from colorful board books that introduce children to popular saints and blesseds such as St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Martin de Porres, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and many more.Price: $9.95 each
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
Next to the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross has long been one of the most popular devotions. Holy Heroes’ Bilingual “Stations of the Cross” Prayer Booklet includes high-quality photographs of artist Francis Mayer’s hand-painted bas-relief sculptures depicting the Stations of the Cross. In the late 1800s, Mayer created the stations for the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. The 64-page, prayer booklet features a two-in-one book with English on one side and Spanish on the flip side. In addition to meditation for the 14 stations, there’s an introduction that explains how to pray the Stations of the Cross.Price: $7.95
Website: holyheroes.com
Teens like decorating water bottles and their laptops with unique, vinyl stickers, so give them stickers with a holy message. Choose from several designs, including “Rosa Mystica” and “You are Fearfully Wonderfully Made,” from Providential Co.Price: $3.50-$4 each or $8 for a sheet
Website: providential.co
In “The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi,” written by Joe Higginbotham, OFS, and edited by Jill Boughton, children are introduced to the life and way of St. Francis of Assisi. Each page — paired with charming illustrations by Andrea Pynaert — offers a story about the saint and a prayer.Price: $10.95 (softcover)
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
In “The Attic Saint” by Tim Drake, a young boy moves to a rambling old home — a former convent — and finds a treasure in the attic. The story has a delightful element of suspense created not only by the story, but by the charming illustrations by Theodore Schluenderfritz. Both children and parents will be excited to turn to the next page.Price: $18.95 (hardcover)
Website: stpaulcenter.com
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Baptism
Looking for a special baptismal gift? This handmade pillow with St. Gabriel Prayer by Meyer Market Designs will bring a Catholic touch to a godchild’s nursery. Printed in ink on the front of the pillow is a prayer asking for the archangel Gabriel’s intercession. The pillow has a zipper enclosure and is backed with stripped, green and gray plush (Minky) material.
Price: $23.75 (approx. 16″x12″ and includes pillow insert)
Website: etsy.com
The All Saints Deluxe Muslin Quilt features sweetly depicted hand-drawn faces of popular saints, including St. Padre Pio, Pope St. John Paul II, St. Josephine Bahkita and nine other holy people. The flip side is a dark green and white stripe pattern. The quilt consists of eight layers of a blend of organic cotton and bamboo, making it extra soft.Price: $65 (47″x47″ size)
Website: beaheart.com
My Catholic Keepsake offers a modern take on the baby book for boys and girls. Record the memories of all of your baby’s milestones, including Catholic firsts such as first Mass, baptism and other sacraments. There’s also a placeholder for an ultrasound photo and space to record the backstory behind the child’s namesake. The book documents up to high school graduation.Price: $39.95 (Hardcover with white wire-o binding 8.5″x8.5″)
Website: thyolivetree.com
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First Communion
“Light of Heaven: A Children’s Book of Saints,” written and illustrated by Adalee Hude, contains some of the most gorgeous depictions of saints. Each piece of art is paired with a Latin word and a paragraph explaining how the saint lived out the meaning of the word. For example, St. Elizabeth’s word is laetitia, the Latin word for “joy.” In her old age, St. Elizabeth experienced this emotion because God granted her a baby who the world would later know as St. John the Baptist. The book features 21 saints, such as Mary and Joseph, St. Peter, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Benedict, St. Joan of Arc and St. Teresa of Calcutta.Price: $16.95 (hardcover)
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
A vintage-style first holy Communion picture that will be cherished for a lifetime. This vividly colored image depicts Christ at the Communion rail ready to give a young girl and boy their first Eucharist. Also shown are St. Agnes, St. Aloysius Gonzaga and two angels. The image is printed with archival ink on 8.5″x11″ acid-free paper.Price: $12
Website: catholicartandjewelry.com
Glory Stories, produced by Holy Heroes, offer an engaging way to introduce young children to the lives of the saints. Holy Heroes has a wide selection of saints’ bios performed by a full cast. Glory Stories CD Vol 1. features the story of how St. Juan Diego met Our Lady of Guadalupe and how little Blessed Imelda Lambertini became the patron saint of first communicants.Price: $29.95
Website: holyheroes.com
Becoming an altar server usually begins after a child receives his first Communion. “Ceremonies Explained for Servers: A Manual for Altar Servers, Acolytes, Sacristans, and Masters of Ceremonies” by Bishop Peter J. Elliott is an excellent book that parents can use to help their child become a better server. The manual explains the importance of piety and decorum and the higher meaning behind a server’s duties. “Your work for God is very important, and this manual is designed to help you,” writes Bishop Elliott. “By assisting the priest, the Church sees your service as a ministry to God a ministry to God’s people.”Price: $21.95
Website: ignatius.com
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Confirmation
St. Louis de Montfort, the author of “The True Devotion to Mary,” thought the simplest path to heaven was with the aid of Mother Mary. Included in the Total Consecration Collection is the “Total Consecration Manual,” which contains 33 days of readings and prayers to prepare for consecrating oneself to Jesus through Mary. In addition, there’s a Total Consecration Ring in sterling silver (in sizes for men and women) and a Total Consecration Certificate to commemorate your promise.Price: $69.95
Website: truedevotionals.com
What better way to show off a new confirmation saint than with these eye-catching Catholic high tops? Teens will love combining their faith with style with shoes that feature popular saints such as Pope St. John Paul II, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Thérèse and St. Benedict, and new designs are added each week. There is even a place to recommend new designs if your confirmandi’s saint is not yet available.Price: $45.44-66.98
Website: saintsandsneakers.com
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RCIA
Many times, RCIA candidates sacrifice much to become Catholic. Give a female candidate a gift that shows her that she has the spiritual support of other strong women, including Mother Mary, St. Joan of Arc, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Thérèse and St. Kateri Tekakwitha, who grace this ice blue “Strong and Courageous” T-shirt.Price: $25.99
Website: brickhouseinthecity.com
“Spirit and Life: The Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Church” by Rose Rea — founder of Radiant and Valiant magazines — is the perfect book for a new Catholic. It looks at each of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church to help the reader better understand the beauty of the steps to living more fully the life of a Christian. Each chapter features beautiful photography and uses Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and writings from popes and Doctors of the Church to explain the sacraments. The chapters end with a reflection on how that particular sacrament impacted the faith lives of prominent Catholics, including Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila of Denver, Lila Rose, president of Live Action, Sam Guzman, founder of the CatholicGentleman.com, and others.Price: $29.95 (hardcover)
Website: sophiainstitute.com
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Wedding
Every Catholic home needs religious art on its walls. Help newlyweds decorate their home with a modern Divine Mercy print by artist Kortnee Senn. The artwork is a reproduction of the artist’s work printed on felt textured paper and then hand-painted with gold acrylic details. Comes in three sizes: 5″x7″, 8″x10″, or 11″x17″.
Price: $17-$30
Website: studiosenn.com
Spring brings weddings, so help a bride spiritually prepare herself for the Sacrament of Matrimony with Chloe Langr’s “Created for Love: Reflections for the Catholic Bride-to-Be.” It’s easy for a bride to get so caught up in the planning of the wedding that she loses sight of what’s essential. Langr writes, “This is a journal to give you a space to prepare for the lifetime after the big day.” Each chapter includes reflections and prayers on themes such as receptivity, generosity, sensitivity and maternity. There’s also plenty of space for journaling.Price: $29.95
Website: osvcatholicbookstore.com
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Holy Orders
St. John Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests. This “Don’t Try to Please Everybody” mug is not only amusing, but it’s also good advice. An image of the saint decorates one side of the cup, and the opposite side features the holy priest’s words: “Don’t try to please everybody. Try to please God, the angels, and the saints — they are your public.”Price: $17.95
Coupon: OSV15 for 15% off orders over $35.
Website: catholiccompany.com
Nothing says “I appreciate you” like a box of fine chocolates. All the way from Ireland, these Glenstal Abbey truffles are filled with fondant flavored with monastic liqueurs, including Chartreuse, Bénédictine, Liqueur de Mandarine and Irish whiskey. There’s also Milk Praline, Whole Hazelnut and other tempting flavors. The box comes with 16 hand-crafted chocolates.Price: $24.95 (9.17 oz)
Website: monasterygreetings.com
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Mother’s Day
“Jesus Speaking: Heart to Heart with the King” edited by Maria Grace Dateno, FSP, is a prayer book-sized devotional inspired by French mystic Gabrielle Bossis’ book “He and I,” which has an imprimatur. Bossis — who lived from 1874-1950 — was a nurse and then a playwright. She received private revelations from Jesus when she was in her 60s. “Jesus Speaking” takes snippets from Bossis’ conversations with Jesus and pairs them with Scripture for each day of the year. Although Jesus is speaking to Bossis, it feels like what the Lord is saying is also directed at the reader.Price: $24.95
Website: store.pauline.org
This lovely trio of dark blue cotton tea towels is dyed in indigo and then bleach dyed with Marian designs from Pycnocline. The featured designs include Ave Maria, Mama Mary, and Miraculous Medal. The towels come hemmed and have a corner hanging loop.Price: $33.99
Website: etsy.com
Mom will love this Maesta Madonna tile for her home altar. The ornate image of Mother and Child was inspired by an early 14th-century religious panel in Siena. The tile can be displayed upright or sitting on a table. The display easel is sold separately.Price: $16.95
Coupon: OSV15 for 15% off orders over $35.
Website: catholiccompany.com
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Father’s Day
Dads and grandads will appreciate this unique Rosary featuring a Shroud of Turin medal and a crown of thorns with “holy nail” crucifix from Just A String of Beads. The 8mm, smooth clay beads are shades of light gray, brown and light blue.
Price: $43.99
Website: etsy.com
Lori Hadacek Chaplin writes from Idaho.
