As the Rockies outside of my window grow purple and blue in the early dusk, Catholics around the world will be preparing for Christmas in various ways. Gift giving, in honor of The Gift that is Christ, always excites and sometimes leads to a little anxiety: where will I find something of quality and meaning for my loved friends and family? Better yet, are there good Christian companies or religious communities my purchases can support? In this article, I highlight five such gifts, all sourced from causes worthy of your support (focusing on the European scene).
- The Fine Wine of Le Barroux
No doubt already familiar to readers of The European Conservative, the French Traditionalist Benedictine Abbey of Le Barroux produces exquisite wines in its Via Caritatis line. Each of its wines—from their red Pax to light Vox—incorporates thoughtful labeling to say nothing of flavor. In addition to ordering directly from Le Barroux, Via Caritatis is available in the UK distributed through MonasticOrder.
- Craft Beer of Norcia
The monks of Norcia, situated in the hills of Umbria in the town where St. Benedict was born, began brewing in 2012. Thus, Birra Nursia was born, with three delicious flavors: bionda, tripel, and extra. As they have expanded, Birra Nursia has been made available in the USA from the monks own site and in the UK distributed through MonasticOrder. Birra Nursia is some of the best beer I have ever tasted.
- Silverstream Priory Rosaries
Handmade by the Benedictine monks of Silverstream Priory, Venerable Bede’s Rosaries are beautiful and sturdy. I have thumbed one of their paracord ones for years, and it is still as sturdy as ever, albeit with some wear on the finish of the metal beads. With manly options, as well as ones with delicate crystal highlights, these are some of the finest monastic-made rosaries around. Other unique gifts from this priory include its incense kits, quite inexpensive altar cards, and beard balm.
- Altar Cards from Abbaye Saint Joseph de Clairval
An excellent gift for a priest or seminarian, the flourishing Abbey of St. Joseph de Clairval in Burgundy produces several designs of altar cards, which can be purchased framed or un-framed. This monastic boutique also carries numerous other items, including fairly inexpensive icon reproductions.
- Icons of Irina Gorbunova Lomax
Sometimes Western Catholics can be put off by the extreme stylization of Byzantine iconography. However, the tradition allows quite a range of styles, including icons much closer to the softness of medieval illuminations. The icons of Irina Gorbunova Lomax are such and can be found at her Etsy shop, Mandylion Studio. These handmade icons are written by an Orthodox woman living in Belgium and are the fruit of over 30 years of experience in the tradition. Irina, however, does not view the icon writing tradition as strictly as others do, arguing against many of the common ‘canonical rules’ of iconography in an interesting (and polemical) book.
In this short piece, I have tried to direct attention to non-book items that are available in the European area rather than overseas. Given the wide availability of books through Amazon and other similar retailers, however, I can recommend readers in particular to the titles published by Angelico Press, Sophia Institute Press, and Os Justi in particular as good sources for intellectually rigorous reading.
As a final note, I would be remiss if I did not mention good sources of Christmas cards. Silverstream Priory’s Christmas cards are some of the best English language ones available in the Isles (in my opinion), while Farnborough’s Abbey shop also has some lovely ones. The cards of the Abbey of Le Barroux’s are an excellent choice for French speakers.
In short, take a moment to consider how you would like to encourage the savoring of art and fine food this Christmas, not to mention aid prayer. Your gift giving can support worthy causes, spread beauty, and aid the festivity of this season. A blessed Advent gift search to all.
