First Communion Sets

Autom is proud to announce the introduction of over 700 new products to our Spring 2011 catalog. We have beefed up our ever-popular First Communion Set category. With 2 new designs and several package options, we are likely to have something for your First Communicants. We also have introduced a collection of First Communion kits that include all the essentials; a First Communion rosary, scapular, and First Communion pin, all inside a lovely rosary case or purse. Starting at only $1.99 each, these kits are a great value and can easily fit into anyone’s budget. We have increased our offering in nearly every corner of our church supply category. We have added new chalices and a wonderful chalice carrying case, linens, vestments, pyxes, and so much more. We have also increased our selection of Sacrament gift and keepsake items. So as you are preparing for your church’s First Communion, Confirmation, or RCIA celebrations; look to Autom for a cost-effective solution to show them you care. We have also added entirely new sections and product lines to our collection.

I am extremely excited about our new section of what we at the office have been calling our “Everyday Items.” We have received many suggestions from customers all over the nation telling us they wanted us to develop more products with a Christian message that can be used on a daily basis. And we listened! We have a brand new line of reusable coffee tumblers and aluminum water bottles. Each beverage container not only serves to satisfy your hydration needs, but more importantly it is an expression of your faith while you’re in the office or out at the grocery store. I was at my local coffee shop and brought my tumbler in to get filled and the cashier was really impressed. It was a great conversation starter and we ended up talking for several minutes about Autom.

We have also developed a line of tissues that would be great to hand out at church or to bring to your child’s school. Priced much lower than the leading facial tissue, it really doesn’t make sense to pay for their brand name. And at the same time, you are able to spread the Christian faith to those around you! Our new adhesive bandages are both cute and motivational. The bright colors and exclusive designs will really catch your child’s eye, but the low price and Christian message are what will catch yours.

Visit Autom.com to view our entire selection of church supplies and Christian goods and to start saving!

Well the Easter season is certainly in full swing at Autom. Our customer service and warehouse staff have been working overtime answering your calls, packing orders, assembling First Communion Sets, and preparing to ship Palms this week to ensure they arrive fresh just in time for Palm Sunday.  It is wonderful to see everyone working together to get the job done making sure you have the affordable church supplies you have come to rely on Autom to provide.

With three weeks left until Easter now is the time make sure you have all the Catholic church supplies you need for your Easter services. Do you still need Palms, Easter clergy apparel, processional or altar candles?  Rest assured, our Autom team is all set and ready to fill your last minute orders!

I should introduce myself.  My name is Paul Greene and I am the Sales Manager for the reseller division of Autom.  For years it has been my unique privilege to help make sure that your local Catholic Book Stores and Christian Suppliers have a quality selection of glass rosaries, saint bracelets, and First Holy Communion gifts available for your special occasion.  Over the years this has put me in contact with wonderful people from all around the globe who daily pour their love for Christ into everything they do.  It doesn't take long in this industry before you realize that what we do is about more than just the bottom line.  Whether that be helping a mother select a St. Benedict Crucifix for her daughter's first home, providing a Baptism gift for a new Christian, or even providing the altar candles that will light the altar as we mourn the passing of someone loved, each day we are blessed with the opportunity to play some small role in bringing God’s love to people’s lives.  This opportunity presented itself in a unique way when the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. 

Like many people around the world I was profoundly moved by the plight of the Haitian people.  In moments millions had lost all that they had.  While aid poured in to the Haitian people from around the world, we were looking for a way that we as a company could contribute.  The answer came in an appeal sent out from the National Church Goods Association.  The NCGA passed on a request from a small parish in Florida that was collecting donations for the churches of Haiti.  In the earthquake the churches also lost everything.  Church vestments, altar linens, chalices and ciboria, in short all the things needed to celebrate the sacraments for the people of Haiti.  For these churches such a loss was devastating.  International aid would help the Haitian people rebuild their lives, but even with the very humble nature of what they had before the earthquake, it could take decades for the churches to replace what they lost.   As one of top manufacturers of affordable church supplies in the world, we were in a unique position to make an impact in this area. 

We presented this opportunity to all of the employees of Autom asking if they would help us raise money for this cause.  Additionally the owners of the company agreed to match dollar for dollar all funds raised.  These funds could then be used to purchase the most needed items for the Haitian parishes.  We could buy many of the items at cost and stretch every dollar to its utmost. The response from the employees was overwhelming.  People dug deep and donated all that they could.  Many who had previously donated to other relief efforts made additional sacrifices to be able to contribute.  Employees who could not financially contribute offered up prayers for Haiti and even went to give blood on their own as a way to help the Haitian people, (as evidenced by Monday morning band-aids and some bruised arms).  We even had friends and family of employees who gave money to the effort.  It was wonderful to see the outpouring of support. It made me proud to be a part of this organization.   This is not an easy time financially for many, but they still reached out to help those in need. 

Using the funds raised, we focused on getting complete Catholic Chalice and Ciborium sets for the churches.  This had been identified as an area of special need due to the high cost and very limited number of manufacturers of these items.   We also sent sets of liturgical vestments for the priests, including chasubles and clergy stoles.  When all was gathered together we were able to donate over $18,000 worth of Catholic church supplies to the cause.  It is my prayer that through these items God may touch the lives of the Haitian people.  And for my part I find that through this experience I have found a renewed appreciation for my own blessings and for the group of people God has surrounded me with.

Remain in me, as I remain in you.

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine,

so neither can you unless you remain in me.

John 15:4

Peace be with you! My name is Bart Tesoriero, and I’m excited to begin this New Year together with you via my very first blog entry ever! 

 

God loves you! He created you, and each of us, for Himself, and as Saint Augustine said, our hearts are restless until we rest in Him. So how do we rest in Him, remain in Him, and abide in Him, as Jesus commands us?

 

We must pray. It is the only way! True prayer leads us into true communion with Our Lord, which, as Pope Benedict teaches in his encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, always “spills out into acts of love for others.” In order to come to know God, to love Him, and to give Him the opportunity to transform us, we need to spend time apart with Him. We need to pray! As we celebrate the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, we encourage you especially to pray the Rosary, to hold Mary’s hand as you walk to Jesus, to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ. Here at Autom, we have many rosaries and Catholic prayer books on sale, as well as many other aids to help you pray.

 

Prayer is a two-way street. We need to listen to God, and to respond to Him, even as He listens and responds to us. May God bless you this year as you set aside some precious moments to make Him your friend in 2010!