First Holy Communion Gifts

This week's Testimony Tuesday from Autom comes from our friend Joe. Each week we post another inspirational story of God working daily in our lives. Have a story you would like to share? Send it to us at blog@autom.com and to show our appreciation we will give you a $5 gift certificate when we post your story.

"Soon after my ordination to the diaconate, twenty-nine years ago, I was handed a list of 30 names and a large pyx full of consecrated Hosts.  I was told by our new pastor that the hospital had called and that patients were waiting.  I was the only one available to bring our Lord in Holy Communion to them.  On the way to the nearby National Orthopedic Hospital in Arlington, Virginia, I kept asking our Lord to tell me what to say to these patients, who would probably be in pain from surgery.

When I asked to see the first patient, the nurse at the station said, “She should be coming out of the anesthesia.  She was in surgery six hours ago.”  I approached the bed of a twenty-four year old woman who was facing the wall, grimacing in pain.  “Do you want to receive Jesus?” I asked.

She saw me out of the corner of her eye, and nodded her head.  Then it came to me.  I told her, “Unite your sufferings with those of our Lord’s on the Cross, for your salvation and for the salvation of those you love.”  Then I held up a Consecrated Host from the pyx and said to her, “Receive the Body of Christ.”  She said, “Amen,” and closed her eyes.

Then she lay back on the pillow.  I saw the beginning of a smile.  I sensed Jesus' Presence in her room that day.  Her God had come to her.  And He was holding her in His loving peace.

Remarkable as this witness was, it happened over and over again, twenty-nine more times!  Jesus love for us is endless.  His mercy endures forever.  He knows our pain and suffering, and our God cares for us.  Pray and persevere in Christ.  Jesus, we put all our trust in Thee!"

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!

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.