Catholic Church Supplies

Free Shipping on All Orders Over $500!

For the entire month of July we are offering Free Shipping on all orders over $500! This is the time to stock up on your favorites, like our New American Bible Revised Edition, and any other big purchases that you have wanted to make like chalices, ciboria, and vestments. Many churches last year stocked up on Bibles to prepare for their school year starting in August. Others purchased all of their Advent and Christmas supplies early and at one time, so they didn’t have to worry about paying extra for rushed shipping or if items would be still have stock during November and December. My mom even participated in our Christmas in July promotion. She purchased a different Nativity Set for each of her siblings, Christmas gifts for my entire family and arts & crafts for the Sunday School class that she teaches. When I told her we were doing the promotion again, she got really excited and raved about “how much time she saved from conventional shopping” and “how less stressful the Christmas season is… and you don’t have to worry about last minute shopping, because you have been done for 5 months!” She also added, “When I shop on Autom.com, I know I am going to get quality, affordable, and inspirational gifts that glorify Jesus Christ.”

We have also included over 600 new items to the 2011 summer and fall catalogs. We have added a ton of new Christmas and Advent items including tote bags, lapel pins, Nativities, and so much more! In addition to the Christmas and Advent items, we have also added new hand-painted Greek Icons, jewelry, and many, many more entire lines.

Follow any of the links in this blog to enjoy the Christmas in July savings: Free Shipping on all orders over $500. Visit us online at Autom.com, your one stop shop for affordable Catholic Church supplies, clergy apparel, wholesale rosaries, New American Bibles, and everything else to help you grow in your Catholic faith!

*Also, a special thank you to my mom for the candid interview, and I hope you don’t mind I quoted you!

Autom's Testimony Tuesday is here with our final post before Christmas. This Testimony Tuesday is about our friend Joyce. She has followed the example of the Good Samaritan and is a true example of what the Christmas season and giving is all about!

Joyce is a reporter at one of the local Catholic newspaper here in Arizona and has been a great supporter of Autom for many years. After the hostage situation at the Catholic Church in Iraq on October 31st, she was assigned to cover the story. Joyce began reporting on the incident and the overall persecution of Catholics in Iraq. She contacted a local priest from Iraq who not only gave her a lot of information, but also informed her of the increasing waves of Iraq refugees entering the United States. These refugees are fleeing from this war torn land with little or nothing to their name. One of these areas in particular is Phoenix.

When Joyce heard about the large community of Catholic Iraqi refugees here in Arizona she decided she was going to give back. When writing the article for her newspaper highlighting their continued persecution of Chaldeans, she brought the story back home and made our community aware of their need for religious goods and supplies. She then proceeded to contact many of the local Catholic businesses and organizations asking them to help and make a donation to the refugees. On her own time, aside from anything work related, Joyce has been able to gather a great deal of supplies and goods for our Iraqi friends living in Arizona.

As some of you know, modern day Iraq was once was known as Ur, the hometown of Abraham. Ur, now Iraq, is the home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the entire world. We know that Abraham was once a refugee of Ur, fleeing to find the Promised Land in Israel. Now as we look to the present, think about these current refugees fleeing their home in search of freedom from the persecution of religion. Isn't it great to know that there are amazing people like Joyce welcoming them into our country with open arms and providing them with love and support when they probably could not feel any more alienated? Thank you Joyce from everyone here at Autom. You are truly a role model!

We invite all of you, our readers, to please pray for the Chaldean Catholics and indeed all Iraqi refugees. If you would like to help in any way, please contact us.

Thank you and Merry Christmas to you all!

Autom would like to remind you that today, June 29th, marks the Feast day of Saints Peter and Paul. Today we celebrate the martyrdom these two saints, the pillars of our Christian faith.

Simon Peter, the first Pope and Prince of the Apostles, originally worked like his brother Andrew, another Apostle, as a fisherman. Luke retells the story of Simon pulling in such a large catch of fish that he fell at the feet of Jesus. Jesus helped him up and said, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” The Lord was correct!

Jesus gave Simon a new name, Cephas, or the rock—Petros, in Greek. Peter was the rock upon whom the Lord was to build His Church. After His Resurrection, Jesus came to Simon Peter and gave him those famous commands: “Feed my lambs.... Tend my sheep.... Feed my sheep.” Peter obeyed the Lord and performed miracles in His name. He was incarcerated for preaching of the Gospel, but after escaping with the help of an angel, Peter continued his missionary work throughout his travels. He eventually made his way to Rome, and his martyrdom occurred around 64 A.D under the reign of Nero. He was crucified upside down on Vatican Hill, because he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as the Lord.

Saint Paul was a great missionary and Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was converted from Judaism to Christianity while he was on the road to Damascus. After spending some time in Arabia, Paul returned to Damascus preaching that Jesus Christ is Lord. Receiving hatred from the Jews, he fled to Jerusalem where he met with Peter. Paul preached between Jerusalem, Antioch, and his hometown of Tarsus for some time before he left for his first missionary journey.

Accompanied by Barnabas and Mark, Paul traveled to the island of Cyprus, then onto Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia, establishing a great number of churches on this first missionary journey. Shortly after the Council of Jerusalem, Paul made his second journey with Silas, visiting many of the churches established in Asia Minor during his first trip. While in Troas, Paul received a vision of a Macedonian pleading for him to visit, so he listened to his Lord and traveled to Macedonia. Along the way Paul visited Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth before making his way back to Antioch.

Paul made his third and final journey around 53 AD, traveling to many of the same regions he visited on his second journey. He had hoped to visit Rome and Spain, but suffered 2 years of imprisonment from the Jews in Caesarea before finally reaching Rome somewhere around 61 AD. Once in Rome, Paul was held under house arrest for another 2 years. After his acquittal, it is believed that he traveled to Spain and Crete before being captured one final time, and brought before Nero. In 67 AD, Saint Paul was beheaded for his faith in Jesus.

Saints Peter and Paul, please pray for us.

Let Autom help you save more when celebrating those special Feast Days. We offer a large selection of affordable Church supplies for all your needs. Visit autom.com for all your Catholic Church supplies.

At Autom we aim to be your one stop shop for affordable church supplies and we are constantly searching the globe for new unique product offerings. With that said, we are excited to announce the introduction of one of our most exciting new items in a very long time. 

Autom has replicated the fine craftsmanship of the Botafumeiro of Santiago de Compostela in a smaller version for today's church needs. If you are unfamiliar with the history of the Botafumeiro of Santiago de Compostela, please read the section below. Santiago de Compostela's 175 lb censer is one of the largest in the world. The much smaller dimensions of our brass censer measure at 9"W and 14"H with a 45" L chain, but maintain the beauty and elegance of the larger original. Visit www.autom.com to order your own Botafumeiro censer or any other Catholic Church supplies.

The Botafumeiro of Santiago de Compostela

Saint James the Apostle— Santiago—is believed to have preached the Gospel in Spain before his martyrdom in 44 AD. His remains are said to be buried in the famous 12th century cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, in the city of Compostela, in the northwest of Spain.

In the cathedral hangs the famous swinging censer, known as the Botafumeiro, one of the largest thuribles in the world. Botafumeiro means “smoke expeller.” A thurible is a swinging metal container, or “incensory” in which incense is burned to honor God during Holy Mass and other times of liturgical and public prayer.

The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro weighs about 175 pounds and is about 5 feet high. Made of a brass and bronze alloy, the current Botafumeiro was created by the gold and silversmith José Losada in 1851. A dome on the cathedral roof contains the pulley installed in 1604 from which the Botafumeiro is suspended.

During certain important religious occasions, cathedral workers shovel about 90 pounds of charcoal and incense into the Botafumeiro, and then tie it with elaborate knots to the rope. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros (incense carriers) push the huge censer to start its motion. As they pull the ropes, producing increasingly large oscillations of the censer, the huge thurible almost touches the vaulted ceiling.  After 80 seconds of swinging it reaches speeds of 40 miles an hour and heights of 70 feet in a 215 foot arc as it dispenses thick clouds of incense. This is in accord with the well-known Spanish saying, “More incense, less nonsense.”

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela, also known as the Way of Saint James, is a thousand-year-old pilgrimage route stretching over 4,000 miles from France and other places in Europe to Compostela. The use of a swinging censer in the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral began in the 11th century, and the great clouds of incense helped to calm and perfume the tired and unwashed pilgrims. It was also believed that the smoke helped prevent the spread of plagues and epidemics. An old saying of the Compostela is good also for our pilgrimage of life: “Slow down and trust in God! You will travel just as far, but with much less pain and strain.”
 

Sunday May 23rd marks this years celebration of Pentecost

Pentecost: The Gift of the Holy Spirit!

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
- Acts 1:8 (The New American Bible)
 

The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, is the love God shares between Father and Son. The Prophets testified that this mighty yet gentle Spirit would rest upon the Messiah and His people. God sent His Holy Spirit upon Mary, who conceived Christ—the Anointed One—in her womb. Jesus proclaimed:

 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me!"
- Luke 4:18-19 (The New American Bible)

It was the power of the Spirit that enabled Jesus to preach, to heal, and ultimately, to lay down His life for us and to rise again in glory on the third day!

Before His Ascension, Jesus commanded His Apostles to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
- Acts 1:5 (Catholic New American Bible)

 
On Pentecost, the Jewish harvest festival commemorating the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai, Mother Mary and the disciples were all in one place together. Suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, filling the house. Tongues as of fire appeared, which parted and rested on each one of them! They were al filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim. 

The disciples went out of that room filled with a power and zeal hitherto unseen in the world—the power of God Himself! They boldly and confidently proclaimed God’s mighty works, His love and forgiveness. Three thousand people were baptized that very day! The apostles and the early Church spread the Kingdom by passing on all the gifts Jesus had entrusted to them, including the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus wants to fill you with the same Spirit that came upon the disciples that first Pentecost. Jesus calls you first of all to Himself, that you would find in Him a true friend, who knows your hopes and dreams, your struggles and successes. Jesus wants you to feel His personal love for you, and then to share this love with others. Jesus died, rose, and sent His Spirit so all people could receive His salvation, live a fully human and holy life, and enjoy eternal life with the Blessed Trinity in heaven. And that’s Good News!

Autom, the leader in Catholic church supplies wants to say,
"Happy Birthday, Church of God!"

Visit our website at www.autom.com for a great selection of affordable church supplies. 

 

Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima! Let us celebrate!

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad."
- Psalm 118:24 (Catholic New American Bible)

Below is a brief history of the events that lead to the recognition of today as the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima:

In a mountainous region near the town of Fatima, Portugal, the Mother of God appeared six times between May 13th and October 13th, 1917, to three shepherd children, Lucia Santos and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto. Mary told the children that she had been sent by God with a message for every man, woman and child in our century. Coming at a time when civilization was torn asunder by war and violence, Mary promised that Heaven would grant peace to all the world if her requests for prayer, reparation and consecration were heard and obeyed.

Mary explained that war is a punishment for sin. She warned that if people continued to disobey God’s Will, they would suffer consequences of war, hunger and persecution of the Church. She also prophesied that Russia would “spread her errors" of atheism and materialism across the earth.

Our Lady of Fatima repeatedly emphasized the necessity of praying the Rosary daily, of wearing the Brown Scapular, and of performing acts of reparation and sacrifice. She also promised a sign as proof of her messages.

On October 13, 1917, a crowd of 50,000 people at Fatima, including many noted skeptics, saw the sun rotating and spinning in the heavens; then, leaving its orbit, it plunged toward the earth. The “Miracle of the Sun” is fully documented. On May 13, 1982, Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter’s Square. He credits his miraculous escape from death to the intervention of Our Lady of Fatima. In November of 1989 the Berlin Wall came down and the Iron Curtain of Communism fell without a shot being fired. Our Lady of Fatima's words have stood the test of time. Let us continue to pray the Rosary and obey Our Lady's requests as we face new threats in our own time.

Autom offers a wide range of Catholic Church supplies including rosaries and Catholic prayer books to help in your celebration of the Feast Day of Our Lady of Fatima. So head over to our website and pick up a cord rosary or glass rosary to follow in the words of our Blessed Mother. We at Autom have provided the Catholic community with affordable church supplies since 1948, and continue to do so today. Thank you for over 62 years of your loyal support!

Today we celebrate our 62nd Anniversary!  Autom has been in the business of selling affordable church supplies and Catholic gifts since 1948. 

As a special thank you to our many loyal customers and in honor of the year of our founding we are offering 19.48% Off Any Size Order now through May 7th, 2010.

**Use Coupon Code CPN1948 during checkout.**

Our History...

After a new found love for his Catholic faith, our founder Ignatius DiGiovanni began working as the manager of a small church bookstore at St. John’s Church in Manhattan. As business improved his health declined, and his family doctor suggested on numerous occasions that he move to a warm, dry climate. After much discussion with his new bride, Ignatius decided to start his own religious goods business in Phoenix, Arizona, with combined savings of only $1600 and the sheer will to succeed. Ignatius chose a name he had been thinking about for years: Autom was born in 1948, half for St. Augustine and half for St. Thomas Aquinas.

Ignatius DiGiovanni, new to town, somehow convinced the Franciscan Fathers of St. Mary's Church to pay his first six months' rent at the Phoenix bus terminal if he used, in his words, his "vast experience" in the religious goods business to open a retail store. The optimism of the moment was tempered somewhat by the gross sales of the first day, a mere $.75, but business improved and the word spread that a young man and his new wife were offering the growing city of Phoenix its first Catholic bookstore. Ignatius noticed that many young priests were stopping by the store in its first year. It was usually on their day off and the only transportation they could afford was the city bus. Therefore, as luck would have it, all the potential pastors of the boomtown of Phoenix would pass by the small retail store on their way to downtown. Friendships were forged that would last a lifetime, and Ignatius bonded with the future leaders of the Diocese of Phoenix and Tucson.

Business and the inventory grew, and Ignatius moved the firm to a storefront at 40 East Monroe in downtown Phoenix in 1951. Then in 1957 Ignatius purchased some land on North 7th Street to house the growing new Autom Company, and in September of that year, built a brand new 6,000 square foot building. All the supplies a church needed were now available in one beautiful location.

In 1963 Autom entered the mail order business with our first catalog. And now over 60 years later, we mail over 4,000,000 catalogs each year and have three locations; our original retail store and corporate office both located in Phoenix, as well as our a newly built 160,000 sq ft distribution center in Lewisburg, Tennessee.

Many kind and committed people have participated in the fantastic growth of Autom. Without their support and effort, the Autom of today would be only a dream.
 

It is still extremely cold in many parts of the country, but at Autom we are already well into the Spring Season.  Our warehouse has begun assembly of thousands of First Communion Sets and is quickly shipping out your affordable church supplies for Lent and Easter.

We are really excited about our newest selection of First Communion gifts, especially our new Everlasting Covenant Presentation Sets.  This exclusive design was thoughtfully created by one of our favorite artists, Michael Adams.  Featuring traditional First Communion symbols including a Catholic Chalice with Chi Rho, wheat and grapes, this design is already becoming a new Autom favorite.

Don’t let the weather fool you…Spring is just around the corner and Autom is ready to supply you with the First Holy Communion gifts you need to make the season great!