By Caroline Nebel,
Manager, St. Louise Gift & Thrift
St. Louise Gift & Thrift is full of amazing Catholic items. Customers enter and see images of Jesus, prayer booklets, crucifixes, and rosaries in an array of colors. I always wonder what non-Catholics think of these items in the shop; this might be the only place where they are exposed to Catholic items.
Most non-Catholics would recognize a picture of Mary, or a crucifix. But some items are more niche—a non-Catholic might not be familiar with sacramentals like a scapular or miraculous medal. They might not recognize a Byzantine icon in its otherworldly portrayal of the saints. It excites me that for our customers, a trip to the thrift shop is an opportunity to discover the richness of the Catholic faith.
We designed our religious item displays with the goal of evangelization in mind. The space around the display is set up in a way that lets customers sit down and take their time with our Catholic books. We also have displayed our holy cards and prayer booklets in a binder for a better viewing experience. I often walk through to see customers doing just what we intended for the space—sitting and reading our Catholic books, or flipping through the prayer cards. It is always exciting when the donated prayer cards and booklets find a new home. I also know that some customers buy our Catholic books for the purpose of evangelizing others; one FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary comes regularly to look for copies of Catholic books he can give to his students.
The good deals and peaceful atmosphere of St. Louise draw in customers from a variety of other faith backgrounds, including Evangelical Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and non-religious people. I have noticed a pattern of non-Catholics frequently being fascinated by the rosaries. Once on the sales floor stocking rosaries, a Muslim woman passed by me, saying, “Those are so beautiful, I love them.”
Another time, I was talking to a young Evangelical Christian woman about the rosaries, and she was surprised to learn there was an actual prayer associated with the beads. She had always thought rosaries were just an item people could hold while they prayed. It was such a joy to then share with her about the rosary, and explain how it is a meditation on the life of Christ. Because of experiences like these, we make a point to add a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary to the customer’s bag when they purchase a rosary. Hopefully this extra resource can enrich the prayer life of our customers.
I am glad the Lord uses our thrift shop to provide for the spiritual needs of his children. Whether through conversations about the faith with customers, or more subtle ways like the presence of Catholic art, God is at work. I continue to be amazed by the fact that sometimes even just the presence of Catholic items is enough to evangelize. No one is telling customers to go admire the rosaries or Catholic art, they are just naturally drawn to these items. Beauty speaks to all human hearts, and it is wonderful to see the Lord draw people to himself through the little booklets, crucifixes, and rosaries we clean up and display on the sales floor at St. Louise.
