Local religious goods stores offer more than books

IC photo/Michele Swaner

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Magdalene Religious Goods and Coffee Grotto in Salt Lake City sells items such as statues and icons. The store is located at 836 East 3300 South in Salt Lake City. They can be reached at 801-953-1820 or http://www.magdalenereligiousgoods.com/.

SALT LAKE City – Catholics who live in the Salt Lake Valley are fortunate to have two religious goods stores to provide them with books, Bibles and gifts. With the holidays around the corner and First Communion and Confirmation in the spring, both stores offer items appropriate to these occasions.

Magdalene Religious Goods and Coffee Grotto opened in December 2013 in response to the closing of Mancuso’s Religious Goods, Gifts and Books. Magdalene, which was originally located in Sugar House, is now at 33rd South in Salt Lake City, in a larger space that also accommodates different kinds of prayer and study meetings. For example, a group meets every Saturday morning to say the rosary.

“Tim and I have noticed that people seem to want more spirituality in their lives,” said Jacque Smithe who, with her husband, Tim, are owners of the Magdalene.

“I don’t know whether the world seems a little uncertain these days, but people come in and want to learn how to say the rosary. We feel blessed to be able to teach them,” Smithe said.   

Immaculate Heart Religious Gifts and Books, at 122nd South in Draper, opened in October 2005. The owners, Julie Carlson and her sister-in-law, Carrie Zmyslo, opened the store after attending a conference in Salt Lake City on Our Lady of Fatima. “After the conference, we felt so inspired to do something different. Here we were living in Draper, and we realized there was nothing at the south end of the valley to serve the Catholic community, so we decided to open the store,” Carlson said.

All of the owners agree that the decision was something they undertook with thought and prayer.

“Years ago when I would go to Mancuso’s or the Paraclete, it was so comforting to be surrounded by the statues and crucifixes,” said Smithe. “I wanted to recreate that same atmosphere at Magdalene – a place where customers could come to talk about faith and find comfort. Customers tell me they find our store relaxing and comfortable.”

In addition to books and religious items, Magdalene serves coffee, has a couch and chairs for sitting, a table with Catholic reading materials and a prayer room.

Carlson discussed her journey in opening Immaculate Heart: “After we prayed about it, everything just kind of fell into place,” she said. “I can’t believe we’ve been here for 12 years – it feels like yesterday that we opened.”

Best-selling items at both stores include jewelry, rosaries, novenas, sacramental gifts and prayer books. Catholic bibles are also popular and each store has a children’s section.

Magdalene imports some items from Mexico and Peru. Immaculate Heart offers goods that Catholic parishes might need, such as vestments and special candles.

“We’re trying to grow our church business,” Carlson said. “We’re working with the National Church Goods Association, and we provide a catalog that goes out to all of the parishes. We want to be able to serve their needs.”   

Magdalene provides a place for speakers and Catholic faith groups to meet. Last year, Fr. Christopher Gray, now parochial vicar at the Cathedral of the Madeleine, presented his doctoral thesis, “Amatores Pulchritudinis,” at the store.

A Cursillo group also meets regularly at the Magdalene. The Cursillo focuses on showing Christian lay people how to become effective Christian leaders over the course of a three-day weekend.

Immaculate Heart is involved in outreach efforts to other parishes, and the owners enjoy meeting Catholics at every stage of their faith journey.

“Some customers are just curious about basic stuff, while others are going through RCIA (Right of Christian Initiation of Adults),” said Carlson. “At the other end we have our devout Catholics, who want to purchase very specific items, such as a scapula.”

Carlson says they often set up a table at a parish event, and they’re willing to publicize and promote parish events at the store.    

The owners agree that having a religious goods store has deepened their own faith.

“Customers come in and talk about their faith and the books they’ve read,” Smithe said. “”Their discussions enrich my faith and keep me on track.”   

Having the store has allowed Smithe to develop relationships with many parishes, and she likes helping “old” Catholics renew their faith, she added.

“Part of what we want to accomplish at the store is the new evangelization – bringing old Catholics in and making them excited about their faith again,” she said.

Carlson says she’s learned a lot from her customers.

“People come in and ask for things I’ve haven’t heard of, so then I have to study and learn about it,” said Carlson. “This has brought me closer to God. We have customers who are going through challenging things – so I’ve learned to count my blessings, too. I try to help them, and that helps me grow in my faith.”