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Mission of new bookstore is ... SPREADING THE WORD
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The Rev. Jeffrey Mickler, left, superior of the Society of St. Paul in Ellsworth, and the Rev. Tony Bautista, director of St. Paul’s Books and Gifts, are shown in the store that opened in August. Below, the store in Boardman is in a convenient location for customers looking for religious and inspirational books and gift items. Photo by: Robert K. Yosay | The Vindicator
The Society of St. Paul has opened St. Pauls Books and Gifts.
Location: 926 Boardman-Poland Road (Route 224), Boardman, across from the Olive Garden restaurant.
Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; closed Sundays.
Phone number: 330-953-2443.
Inventory: Religious books, music, liturgical vestments, chalices, statues and gifts. There are Bibles and predominantly Catholic-oriented publications.
Prayer room: A unique aspect of the store is the prayer/meditation room. Dedication will be the last week in November.
Online: Visit http://75.102.10.10/videos/ 1379/new-catholic-store for video on the store or the general website at www.stpauls.us.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
boardman
The Rev. Tony Bautista, director of St. Pauls Books and Gifts, described the Society of St. Paul business as a “regular retail store” with one exception. “Here you might have a moment with God.”
That encounter might be prompted by browsing through books, in English and Spanish, that include religious, inspirational, theology, family life, commentaries, grief and loss, self-help, spiritual and Marian and of course, Bibles.
If such a “meeting with God” should occur, the store has the perfect place to experience it — a prayer-meditation room. It is currently under construction but will be ready for a dedication in late November.
The Rev. Jeffrey Mickler, superior of the Society of St. Paul in Ellsworth, said the prayer-mediation room fits in with “our ministry of reaching out through various forms of communication.” The prayer room will provide a peaceful place for anyone who wants to reflect on something they’ve read. “Materials are meant to enlighten and address the intellect,” Father Mickler said.
Father Bautista said he believes the namesake of the order would be “texting, tweeting and Facebooking” if he lived in contemporary times. St. Paul, known for his devotion to spreading the Gospel, is the patron of the order whose mission focuses on communication.
St. Pauls Books and Gifts was dedicated Aug. 27. The new store isn’t the society’s first retail venture. It had bookstores in the 1970s at area malls, which operated some 30 years. Father Mickler cited overhead as the reason they closed. The society most recently had a bookstore at its monastery at 9531 Akron-Canfield Road, Ellsworth; the store is now closed.
“In Boardman, we’re closer to the activity and other businesses. We can better serve customers,” Father Mickler said. He said the feedback on the new store concerning what it offers and its location has been positive.
The new store fulfills three phases of the society’s apostolate — the writing and editing phase, production and distribution. It has a facility in Staten Island, N.Y., where books, audio CDs and DVDs are produced.
Among the CDs is a package featuring Father Mickler in 52 segments that run 10 minutes each and focus on messages of St. Paul such as grace, women and spirituality. Some have aired on Catholic TV and received national attention. Others include such topics as “Music as Personal Prayer,” “Shroud of Turin, Scientific Evidence,” “Christian Yoga, the body at prayer” and “Jesus the Jew, Roots of Jesus’ Spirituality.”
Also available is Fair Trade coffee and chocolates. Father Bautista said the store supports those efforts along with other products made by religious orders.
Father Bautista said the store offers items that cover the seven sacraments of the church — from baptism to anointing of the sick.
There are special cards for baptism, wedding and ordination. Among gift items are plaques with blessings for home and new baby. Be inspired daily with calendars highlighting Pope John Paul II and “Day by Day with Mary.”
For the military, customers will find compact prayer books with verses and reflections specifically for personnel. There’s even a cross draped in the American flag.
There’s an array of rosaries and rosary bracelets and other jewelry including necklaces with crosses and medals of various saints.
Also featured are Mystic Monk coffee with flavors including cowboy blend and blossoming jasmine and St. Paul wine, crafted in California, and meant for sacramental use.
Other items include DVDs, night lights with images of angels and the Blessed Virgin, plaques with Be-Attitudes for sports and teens, Catholic joke books, small to large statues and decorative mugs and plates with “Shalom” on them.
The store is staffed by paid employees and volunteers from the Pauline Family, lay people who support the St. Paul orders.