All Saints Day

I have always been fascinated by the saints, and with All Saints Day coming up on November 1, I have been thinking about some of my favorite saints and learning about new ones. There is a lesson to be learned in the life of each saint, and even the saints that border on the bizarre speak to the rich history of the Catholic Church and can help us learn more about our faith.

St. Anthony has always been one of my family's favorites. He is the patron saint of lost things and saying a quick prayer to him when you lose your keys or can't find your wallet works every time. Try it yourself sometime:

Tony Tony,

look around

something's lost

and must be found

A saint I just learned about is Saint Drogo. Saint Drogo lived a very pious life in the 12th century. He is the patron saint of coffeehouses, and reportedly was able to biolcate - that is physically be in 2 places at once!! A terrible physical deformity he received during a pilgrimage caused him to remove himself from the public, and he spent the last 40 years of his life alone in a cell attached to his church. During this time he lived off barley, water, and the Eucharist and had no contact with the outside community. This makes him the patron saint of unattractive people which just goes to show that there is a patron saint for just about everything!

For more interesting Saints stories, check out Butler's Lives of the Saints. You might be surprised to find how fun and interesting the saints are to read about.

60th Anniversary this weekend!

After weeks of waiting, our 60th Anniversary Sale is finally here! Already our store has been full of people taking advantage of our 20% off deal which runs from now until Monday (10/26). Absolutely everything is on sale - even church supplies. It has been really fun to see old and new friends turn up, and I can't wait to see who else stops by.

We would love it if you could join us for the festivities, it's a very exciting time for us.

What makes altar wine "genuine" altar wine?

While it may seem that wine is wine is wine, there is a key difference between regular wine you buy at your local store and genuine altar wine. The difference not only comes from the fact that it it is part of the Eucharist, but also in how it is produced and treated before it even makes it into the church.

The making of genuine altar wine begins at the vineyard.

Sacramental altar wine comes from the "free flowing juice" of the grapes. It means that the grapes are slit and the juice that comes them immediately is collected for altar wine. Then the commercial squeezers gather the rest - considered less "pure" - for commercial wine. Furthermore, sacramental altar wine must be naturally fermented with nothing added to it.

Those looking to purchase genuine sacramental altar wine should remember the unique requirements and qualities and purchase from a reputable retailer, like St. Patrick's Guild.

BONUS! Altar wine purchased at St. Patrick's Guild is not subject to the liquor tax.

Understanding and caring for your religious jewelry

Solid gold...gold filled...gold plated...oxidize...sterling...rhodium...karat...

Ever wonder what all of this means? As specialists in religious jewelry, St. Patrick's Guild can help!

We have a comprehensive webpage within our site that deals with religious jewelry types and care.

TYPES of jewelry include: Solid gold, gold filled, gold plated, sterling silver, brass, pewter and stainless steel. Our site offers advice on how to CARE for each of these.

The page also offers important jewelry DEFINITIONS such as: Karat, oxidize, tarnish and allergies to jewelry.

Finally, we included TIPS and TRICKS for religious jewelry, including how to select a chain length.

Visit the Religious Jewelry Types and Care page at: http://www.stpatricksguild.com/page.htm?PG=JewelryCare#jewelrycare

Our most popular religious jewelry can be found here: http://www.stpatricksguild.com/browse.cfm/2,386.html

The Year for Priests, St. John Vianney is Patron

The 2009 Liturgical Year has been declared the "Year for Priests" by Pope Benedict. In honor, the Pope has determined that St. John Vianney will be the Universal Patron of Priests.

Many parishes will be celebrating the Year for Priests, which began in June 2009 and will end in June 2010. We will be called to pray for and support our priests, now more than ever.

Consider a St. John Vianney gift for your priest. Although we don't currently have much online (will try to get to that), you can call in or visit the store. We have...

--Book: Thoughts of the Cure D'Ars but St. John Vianney

--CD: Celebration of your Priesthood: You are a Priest Forever

--Limited Edition St. John Vianney Pocket Token or Medal

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has additional information on the Year for Priests here:

http://www.usccb.org/yearforpriests/

La Patisserie and Irish Indeed joining in the Anniversary fun!

I have an exciting update for our 60th anniversary celebration coming up on October 23-26. Our neighbors at La Patisserie and Irish Indeed heard about our anniversary and want to get in on the festivities and help out Mari Plaster. They will also be offering 20% off all weekend long and giving a portion of their proceeds to Mari to help with her medical bills. This is a great opportunity to shop the entire corner off Randolph and Snelling and to save big!

In case you haven't been to La Patisserie, I highly recommend you stop by. They have the most delicious pastries and cakes that I have found anywhere in the Twin Cities. Their chocolate croissants are perfect, the carmel bars are to die for, and the petit fours are just wonderful - not to mention their scones, cakes, breads, and cookies...

Everyone should check this place out.