PROVIDENCE – There is still plenty of time to get thoughtful, faith-based, and reasonably-priced gifts at two local religious goods stores before Christmas arrives.
Stella Maris on Cedar Swamp Road in Smithfield and Tally's on Pontiac Avenue in Cranston both offer a wide variety of gifts for everyone on your list.
Stella Maris offers a unique twist on a perennial favorite, the rosary. Small pill boxes attached to pendants and key chains and featuring images like Pope John Paul II and a variety of saints are the perfect place to keep a small, Czech glass rosary. Both items are by Illumigifts, a Providence company. The boxes are $10 and the rosaries, which are in a variety of colors and labeled according to birthstones, are $12.
Nativities are another favorite. Stella Maris offers several nativities from across the world – Indonesia to Haiti to Peru – that are all fair trade, which means that the people who produced them were paid a fair price for their labor. A Haitian scene depicts the Holy Family in a stable made from a coconut and runs $60. A small nativity inside an egg-shaped ceramic stable from Peru is $14. A wooden nativity puzzle made in Indonesia costs $28.80.
At Tally's the classic Fontanini nativity is a gift that keeps giving. Starter sets including the three figures and the manger are $75 and additional pieces are added every year – everything from shepherds and shepherdesses to chickens and camels – making gift-giving easy for years to come.
Statues are another popular seller at Tally's. Lightweight outdoor statues about three feet tall feature saints as well as Jesus and the Blessed Mother. The colorful, enamel statues can be filled with quick-drying cement and will last outside for years. The statues are $100. Small Florentine statues features even more saints and religious figures; these 12-inch statues are $50.
Another popular Christmas seller is religious artwork. "The Last Supper" and "Madonna of the Streets" are the two most popular pieces at Tally’s and both come in a variety of renditions. Paintings start at $22.
Another locally-made offering available at Stella Maris are beautiful metal ornaments by Providence-based Cathedral Art. The ornaments are $10.
Stella Maris also features Soft Saints, soft and "huggable" dolls in a variety of likenesses from Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Francis of Assisi to the Madonna and Child for $98.
Christmas music is available in abundance at both stores. Tally's features a CD by The Priests, an Irish trio singing both religious and traditional Irish tunes for $18.95. At Stella Maris "O Night Divine" by the family band L'Angelus is cajun-inspired Christmas music and is $14.95. Another popular choice is the Daughters of St. Paul from Boston's "Joy – Christmas Songs" CD which is sure to get you in the Christmas spirit.
Want to show off the true meaning of the season? Both Stella Maris and Tally's offer "Jesus is the reason for the season" pins.
Looking for a gift for a priest? Both Stella Maris and Tally's advise avoiding crucifixes and statues, as most priests have large collections of both. Tally's advises a gift certificate to be used for vestments, which they stock in a variety of styles and colors. Stella Maris recommends seasonal reading and offers a large selection of Christmas-themed books.
Rhode Island's religious goods stores offer much more than Bibles and crucifixes (although you can get those too!) for the last-minute Christmas shopper. So, put down that fistful of gift certificates and head to Tally's and Stella Maris for gifts that will remind everyone on your list of the real reason for the season.
If you go...
Stella Maris
9 Cedar Swamp Rd, Smithfield
231-0074
StellaMarisCatholicStore.com
Tally’s Church Supplies and
Religious Gifts
1150 Pontiac Ave, Cranston
331-4400 • Tallys.com
