St Patrick’s Cathedral Gift Shop opens in time for Christmas

By Mary Brazell, 5 December 2018
Rosary beads designed by a parishioner, available at the St Patrick's Gift Shop. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta.

 

As the season of Advent begins, and the Christmas rush starts to ramp up, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta is bringing Christmas cheer by opening an on-site gift shop.

The St Patrick’s Gift Shop opened on Friday November 30, in the heritage-listed Murphy House, and will be run by parishioners who have volunteered their services.

Very Rev Bob Bossini, Parish Priest and Dean of the Cathedral opened the store with a blessing following the 12.30pm Mass.

“We’re working with Cathedral parishioners, who have been very supportive and they’ve been involved from the very beginning”, says Mili Lee, Financial Administrator at St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish.

The store, which was an initiative of the St Patrick’s Parish community to supplement the Cathedral income, will stock a range of products, but refuses to be called a piety store.

“The main aim of the gift shop is stocking gifts that will delight both the giver and the receiver,” Mili says. “It will offer products that people won’t be able to pick up at other piety shops.

“There will be three categories of gifts: piety gifts, that increase the faith; souvenirs for visitors and parishioners to take back home with them; and a range of ethical products that support various Catholic mission and agencies.”

Fr Bob believes the gift shop will be a valuable addition to the parish. “It will be a great benefit to parishioners and people who attend the Cathedral Masses.”

“It is more than a business venture, it is a pastoral outreach”.

A nativity scene available at the St Patrick’s Gift Shop. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta.

With the closure of the St Paul’s Books and Gifts Centre on Church Street in the Parramatta CBD and the movement of The Mustard Seed from Lidcombe into the Sydney CBD, the new Cathedral gift shop will hopefully fill a void.

“It will allow people from the northern end of Parramatta to have access to a store that sells religious items”, Fr Bob says.

“We are located in the middle of Parramatta, and soon with all the development, there will be an increase in car traffic, and an increase in business for the shop,” Mili said.

“Going forward we would like to be sustainable, to continue to support the mission of the Cathedral, the Diocese and the Church in general.

“The gift shop is here to stay.”

Opening hours will be 10am – 3pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

For more information visit: https://stpatscathedral.com.au/

Rosary beads available at the St Patrick’s Gift Shop. Image: Mary Brazell/Diocese of Parramatta.

 

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