Posted on 11/27/2015 1:42:29 PM PST by NYer
We've never been keen on Black Friday—however … there is something to be said for getting shopping done this week so you can get the most out of Advent, as Zoe Romanowsky wrote here last week.
Perhaps we could spare a few minutes to Christmas shop—online—for these lovely gifts, handmade by monks and nuns from monasteries and religious communities. These are a few of the Aleteia staffs’ favorites:
1. Brandy-dipped fruitcake from the New Camaldolese Monks of Big Sur, California. This cake is unforgettable ($22 for a one-pound cake) as is the New Camaldoli Hermitage itself. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the monks offer Benedictine spiritual retreats in a beautiful setting. Now that would be a good Christmas gift! http://www.hermitagebigsur.com.
2. Fudge from the monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia. Try the “Southern Touch†fudge, with real peach morsels, pecans and a touch of pecan brandy ($12.95 a box).  http://www.holyspiritmonasterygifts.com.
3. The “Pope’s Soap”from Seignadou Soaps in Summit, New Jersey. The Dominican nuns who make these lovely soaps provided a gift basket to make Pope Francis’ stay in Philadelphia “squeaky clean.†Their “Christmas Pine Goat’s Milk Soap†makes a wonderful stocking stuffer ($4 a bar). http://seignadousoaps.com/.
4. Soap from the Texas nuns at the monastery of St. Michael the Archangel in San Antonio,Texas. More soap! We just couldn’t choose which we liked best. The Texas Nuns (Tune in to their radio show “A Good Habit” on Guadalupe Radio Networkon Wednesdays at 2 pm EST) offer their Nonnavita “super natural soap†in a variety of scents. On our personal shopping list: “Ranch Hand,†made with lemon, lavandin, orange and patchouli with exfoliating ground apricot kernels ($7 a bar). www.texasnuns.com.
5. Jams and jellies from the Trappist Preserves and the monks at Saint Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. ($12.95 for three jars.) These monks have cornered the market on preserves for a reason. They’re delicious!  http://www.monasterygreetings.com/product/Trappist_Preserves.
6. Caramels from the Trappist nuns of Our Lady of the Mississippi in Dubuque, Iowa. And try their “Meltaways†a favorite among the sisters, made with milk chocolate, hazelnuts and a hint of salt (from $7.75 for a half pound)  http://www.monasterycandy.com. They also offer original Christmas Card designs.
7. Icons the Trappist Monks of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. Fans of Thomas Merton will appreciate these reproductions of religious icons painted by Br. Lavrans in the 1960s ($20 each) https://www.gethsemanifarms.org/abbeyGiftShop-products.aspx?ID=3.
8. Creamed honey from Redwoods Monastery in northern California. Try a gift-box of three flavors ($7 a jar, or $18 for three jars) http://www.redwoodsabbey.org/Store/.
9. Mustard from the Benedictine Sisters in Mt. Angel, Oregon. The secret recipe was passed on for generations until the Sisters started selling in in 2005. Aleteia editor-in-chief Elizabeth Scalia calls the garlic and jalapeno mustards “incredibly delicious.†Visit Monastery Mustard.org for information on how to call or email to purchase.
10. All-natural beeswax candles from the Monastery of Saint John in Manton, California. A trio of long-lasting, solid beeswax pillars in assorted sizes makes a lovely gift ($42.00 for a set of three). Available in other sizes and designs. http://www.stjohnsbookstore.com.
The Texas Nuns, referenced for their soap in number four on the list, also have started making scapulars.
http://blog.texasnuns.com/tag/sterling-silver-scapular/
Even from this angle, you can see how massive it is. Thanks for the information on the monastery and their delicious products.
The carmels from the nuns in Iowa are just great, make perfect gifts for anyone .....
I remember seeing the nuns at St. Joseph’s convent in St. Mary’s, PA making ceramic figurines in the 1970’s. However, the monastery closed down in 2014.
Seems like I read something about that.
Yes, that’s it! Pretty impressive.
Yes!!
As a treat, I often enjoy a bottle of the Westvalle Ale. It’s expensive, at $6 a bottle, but it’s like ambrosia! Afterwards, I sleep like a baby and dream of angels.
You can find several beers at stpeterslist.com
Thanks for the link, I’ll check it out. Life’s too short to drink cheap, nasty beer. :-)
I don’t know... when Jesus drove the moneychangers out of the Temple with a whip, He was pretty clear about churches not conducting revenue generating activities.
The church membership is responsible for financially supporting the work through tithes and offerings. Church is supposed to “be a house of prayer”. Hawking goods in/for church is cheap and tacky and detracts from the reason for its existence.
And, no, our church doesn’t have bazaars, bake sales, bingo, etc. When taking the offering on Sunday, if the pastors notices visitors in the congregation, he’s quick to say that the offering is for members only.
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