Catholic Confirmation Gifts

Interested in Catholicism? - RCIA Classes are Starting Soon

Friday, September 10, 2010 by Chris Vallely

Have interest in becoming a Catholic? Don't know how to join or where to start? Let us help!

At Autom, our commitment is not only to provide affordable church supplies and gifts, but also to spread the Catholic faith and help those interested in knowing more about the Church.

RCIA—the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults—is the process by which adults and older children are introduced to and instructed in the Catholic faith. These candidates are called catechumens. The RCIA journey is highlighted throughout by liturgical rites that aid and assist with the conversion of the catechumens. The entire process takes place over a number of months and typically ends at the Easter Vigil service, when the catechumens become full members of the Roman Catholic Church, the Body of Christ.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is focused on the “spiritual journey” that is the conversion to Catholicism. The candidates grow both in their relationship with Jesus and with one another as well as develop a sense of parish community. At the Easter Vigil Mass, the RCIA candidates receive the Sacraments of Initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist.

Many parishes will be starting their RCIA classes during the month of September, while others offer classes year-round. Contact your local parish if you are interested in learning more about the RCIA or the Catholic faith in general.

With the onset of RCIA classes quickly approaching, it would be a good idea to start ordering your copies of the Catechism and perhaps some RCIA rosaries for your students. Visit Autom.com for a large selection of RCIA products. Wherever you’re at on your journey of faith, may you come to know more deeply God’s personal love for you and His desire to lead you to Himself, the fulfillment of all desire.

The Feast Day of St. Augustine

Saturday, August 28, 2010 by Chris Vallely

Autom would like you all to join us as we celebrate the feast day of a saint that we have a particular devotion for, St. Augustine. Our company, Autom, gets our name from a combination of our founder's two favorite saints, St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. Today let us celebrate the life and works of St. Augustine, a truly great man.

Renowned for his books, letters, and essays on Christian Revelation, Augustine is seen as one of the most influential Christian writers since St. Paul. He focused much of his work on Christian philosophy and the history of thought.

Augustine was born November 13, 354 at Tagaste (now Algeria) in North Africa. His father, Patricius, worked as a city official and remained a pagan until converting to Christianity on his deathbed. On the contrary, his mother, Saint Monica was a devout Christian and had her son signed with the cross and enrolled among the catechumens. Through all the teaching Augustine still refused to be baptized, that was until he fell gravely ill and finally consented. Shortly after his recovery Augustine denounced his faith, but under the influence of his mother he continued his religious schooling until he was 16 years old.

In 370, at the age of 16, Augustine traveled to Carthage for more schooling and quickly fell into the pleasures and excesses of the half pagan city. In 372, he fathered a child with a woman that he was living in sin with. His son’s name was Adeodatus, which means ‘Gift from God’. A year later he became a confirmed Manichaean. Augustine’s interests in natural sciences attracted him to Manichaeism because their promise of free philosophy.

After completing his schooling, he returned to Tagaste and then back to Carthage to teach rhetoric. After nine years of Manichaeism, he steered away because of their opposing views of cosmology. Spiritually lost, Augustine traveled to Italy in 383 to study Neo-platonic philosophy. Shortly after arriving in Italy, he became a pupil of Ambrose due to his kindness and generous spirit. In 386, while under a fig tree, Augustine, soaked in tears, finally found that empty void he had been looking for finally came to him. The following year he was baptized by Ambrose, with much delight from his mother St. Monica.

The death of mother following his baptism was a period of grief and struggle for Augustine. He returned to Tagaste to live a semi-monastic life of prayer and studying. He was searching for a harmony between his Christian faith and the philosophical questions that had long been controlling him. In 391, Augustine was ordained a priest and spent the next five years living a successful and fruitful priestly life, before he began focusing on his works.

“Confessions” (401 A.D.), the piece of work that defined Augustine as a great Christian writer and perhaps the most important figure in the ancient Western Church, is an autobiographical account of his conversion. Other notible works include "City of God" and "The Trinity." From 396, at 42 years old, till his death in 439, he ruled the diocese of Hippo alone. On August 28, 439, at the age of 76, a fatal illness took Augustine from his earthly body.

Visit Autom for all your Catholic Church supplies and gifts at great prices!

Find Us on Facebook!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010 by Chris Vallely

Autom, your choice for affordable church supplies formally invites you to "Find Us on Facebook!"

We are excited to announce the launch of our new Autom page on Facebook. Fans will be able to post pictures and comments, review products, receive the latest news, discuss religious topics, and most importantly, receive amazing deals on Catholic Church supplies! How do you receive amazing deals? Easy!

At Autom we are a family, and we want you to know that you are the heart of this family. Our customers are our glue that keeps this business together. And to show our appreciation, we will occasionally offer one-day only deals such as but not limited to, free shipping, a buy one get one free rosary sale, $25 off any order of $100 or more, or 10-25% off any order! You will be able to use these discounts towards the purchase of clergy shirts, a cord rosary, or a few copies of the New American Bible for your church. Anything you or your church may want or need in our ever growing selection of affordable church supplies will be available to you.

And the savings don't stop there! The more "likes" we receive the more often we will pass the savings to you. As more and more Facebook users "Like" the Autom page on Facebook, we are going to offer more and more savings opportunities. We will randomly advertise a special deal, such as a free glass rosary with any order, via our status update for only 24 hours.

In this 24 hour window, customers will receive the avertised savings on any order through our website. Depending on the season or time of year, you may want to purchase gifts for those special occasions. We have a great selection of First Holy Communion Gifts, Catholic Confirmation Gifts, and Catholic Baptism Gifts.

These exclusive specials on Facebook would also be the perfect opportunity for your church to stock up on clergy apparel, such as clergy shirts or clergy stoles, a Catholic chalice, or Catholic Prayer Books. Any way you look at it, following us on facebook is a great opportunity for you and your church to be included in the biggest and best Autom sales and discounts we have to offer.

We will be announcing the first promotion via our page on Facebook very soon. Visit Autom's page on Facebook and join today for amazing savings!

Free Shipping - Celebrate Earth Day with Autom!

Thursday, April 22, 2010 by Alicia Reidhead

Today only Autom is offering Free Shipping on Any Size Order!
Click here to activate this offer. Expires 4/22/10 11:59 EST.

Reusable Tote Bags seem to be huge this Earth Day and it just so happens that they are also a favorite among both our customers and employees. We have large tote bags that are perfect for groceries as well as a variety of other sizes including bags that are just right for carrying your favorite Catholic prayer books. Another neat idea would be to use a tote as a gift bag for Catholic Confirmation gifts, First Communion gifts and more!

Here are a just a few comments from our Autom staff about our newest tote bags.

"The Grocery Tote Bag is one of my favorite items. Not only is it environmentally viable as an alternative to throw-away plastic bags, but it also has a great Bible verse reminding us to care for God's creation."
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it" is a reminder that our earth belongs to the Creator of all things.
- Beth - Merchandiser

"I always like children themed items and especially love Mother Teresa, so I would have to say our new Children of the World Tote Bag is my new favorite item! It’s environmentally friendly with an eye-catching design and popular saying from our beloved Mother Teresa. It’s suitable for any generation, from kids, teenagers to adults and is great for any activity...not just as a grocery bag."
Angela - Purchasing

"I love our tote bags, especially the new Children of the World Tote Bag. In a time when it's smart to be environmentally friendly, bringing your own reusable bags to a grocery or drug store is a necessity - and the cute designs and popular sayings we have never cease to bring comments from other customers at the stores. They're sturdier and more reliable than plastic bags, and a lot of places give you a discount on your groceries or products if you bring your own bag - a win win situation!" :)
Kara - Catalog Development

Prayer Cubes – An Autom Favorite!

Friday, February 12, 2010 by Alicia Reidhead

I recently asked my coworkers to share with me a few of their favorite products and one particular standout was our line of Prayer Cubes.

“My favorite is definitely the Prayer Cubes, they are simple, fun and get the message across for all ages.”
Lindsey – Purchasing Manager

“The Fasting Prayer Cube is the coolest thing ever. It provides ideas for fasting that are not commonplace such as 'Fast from anger and hatred', 'Fast from complaining.' Maybe all of us could use a little reminder once in awhile.”
Beth – Merchandiser

The Prayer Cubes just happen to be a favorite of mine as well, so I am very excited to be able to share with you a bit about this really neat product. We started with one original cube featuring traditional prayers and have expanded to nine additional subjects including First Communion, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Favorite Catholic Prayers, Mealtime Prayers, Advent Prayers, Lenten Prayers, Fasting Prayers, and Children’s Prayers.

These are perfect for classrooms, as each child can take turns rolling the cube to help determine which prayer will be recited during lessons. For families, they are a wonderful tool to encourage prayer and discussion during meals and before bedtime.

I love that each Prayer Cube is meant to make the process of learning prayers easy and fun. With Spring Sacraments coming up, they would make excellent Reconcilation Gifts, First Communion Gifts and Catholic Confirmation Gifts.