Catholics -how do you feel about kitschy religious things ?

[MaryAnnSingleton]

Was in Paperchase looking at Christmassy things and saw the glittery flock statues of Jesus and BVM - I do like them,along with all kinds of other religious kitschy artefacts, yet can't bring myself to buy them because of a feeling inside that it might not be right and I may well be struck down...does anyone else share this dilemma ?

I threaten my mother with some of the really tacky ones, because I know my father would insist on keeping them. Whenever we're on holiday I try to find the most gharish example to take a picture of to send to her. Think battery powered with twinkling lights, moving saints and 20W halos

I had an our lady picture with fairy lights around her once. I had to get rid of her because she was a bit lethal. I got her in 'Our Lady of Tears' in Syracuse which does seem more proper than paperchase.

we used to have a bottle of Lourdes water, but that was genuinely brought back from Lourdes. I'd have no qualms there about buying anything tacky

We have a couple of stautues of VM bought at westminister cathedral for the DC's and a crucifix made of palestinian olive wood...

...but how do people know whether you are displying these in an ironic way or not???

Actually now I come to think of it we also have a picture of the Pope (JP) on the kids bedroon door, that was put up when he died in a totally non ironic fashion.

Cripes we are much more pious than I thought.

I'd still buy a jeus statue from papercase if i wanted to though, wouldn't worry me at all. Paperchase are actually selling them for the same reason as the gift shops in Lourdes. To make money.And becuase there is a market for them.

I'm pretty envious of my friend's flashing Vatican that she bought on a trip to Loreto (where they have the Virgin Mary's house, apparently). Agree with Annthecat that even the holiest places sell ridiculous tat, so Paperchase appropriating those images is not such a terrible thing. Although don't get me started on Barbie Advent Calendars...

If you buy it from Paperchase you have to take it to Mass and have it blessed by the priest. It would already be blessed if you bought it from Lourdes or your Church shop.
Heathens.

lol at getting your Paperchase kitsch blessed by the priest - that is a genius solution

!!

Wilbur - is that the Loretto in Prague which was actually transported by angels from [where ever Mary lived ]to Prague?

I really wanted to buy a 3ft candle of the Vriging Mary from a church shop once, but I couldnt' have burned it, could I? I mean burning the VM, would just be wrong, wouldn't it?

Any thread on kitschness would NOT be complete without a visit to this site:

Gadgets for God

arf !

Not sure the ones in Church shops are pre-blessed -- when ds finally got his sacred heart statue (I'd tried to steer him towards the Child of Prague, but he wasn't having any) Sr. D was most insistent that he should take it to the priest to be blessed. Tho' he was trying to unwrap it from its protective bubblewrap, and Sr maintained he didn't need to do that, the blessing would work through the wrapping. Tho' she was a tiny bit as she said it.

Lynette -- I think appropriating someone else's catholicism to fulfil your own taste in religious kitschery is Not On. Doing what I do ie. encouraging the kids down that road in the sure and certain knowledge that it will royally annoy my anti-catholic MIL is completely fine, otoh.

Arf at that website!

My ma had a serious phobia about Durer's praying hands -- we once had to change GP practices because the old one had a large print of it in his surgery. So the candleholder should sort her out for a Christmas present. My ds otoh would quite like the Armor of God PJs.

Lynette - no, it's Loreto in Italy where they also have the Virgin Mary's house transported there by angels. I guess she had quite a few houses...

frogs I do know it's not on, but I see it as my way of joining in. If I have to sit though mass with 3 Dc's then I think I should be able to able to have some of the fun bit too.

I don't go for the kitch stuff - IMO. More the old fashioned sort of religous stuff you find in flea markets. I got most of it years before I met DH, just becuase I liked it, or inherited it, but now I feel I can display it as everybody else around here is Catholic.

There's someone in our locality keeps posting those {say your request here, never known to fail} prayers to Mary or the Sacred heart of Jesus in the free paper. I have been ever so slightly tempted to publish one myself that says {did fail a few times, but it's worth a punt, eh?}

how about a Craigie Aitchison print..