Catholic Saint Medals Commemorate Martyrs of Church

Patron Saint Medals are something very well known within the catholic faith. They are often shiny pieces of gold, sterling silver, nickel or pewter with the names of Saints, such as St Christopher or St. Michael or St. Peter and an image of them struck into the metal that makes the coin.

There are also many instances of events that happened that also appear on medals. Our Lady of Fatima is a popular one. The event being recalled was the Blessed Mothers appearance to three small children in 1918. Often depicted is the image of the three children kneeling in a grotto at the feet of the Blessed Mother. The message of the visit was to pray the rosary, a common there in most Marian Apparitions.

The Miraculous Medal is the result of another Marian Apparition to St. Catherine Laboure. In 1830 the Blessed Mother spoke to her requesting that she change her mission and start getting these medals out there in regard to the immaculate heart of Mary.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is another apparition commemorated on religious medals and often in statuary and tapestry as well. The Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego in the 15th century and left her image on the inside of his cape. The image that is associated with the apparition of Our Lady is a replica of the image she left behind. This was again a message of praying the rosary and the importance of the rosary.

Perhaps one of the most famous apparitions is Our Lady of Lourdes. This apparition took place in the 1850s when the Blessed Mother appear to St. Bernadette. The waters of the grotto of Lourdes saw people coming from far and wide to be healed by these waters and there are countless miracles that have been attributed to Lourdes to this day. This year marked the 150 year anniversary of Lourdes. Often in addition to medals you will find Lourdes rosaries which have a vial of authentic Lourdes waters as the center of the rosary.

In the early days of the church religious medals were also struck as ways to remember the story or depicted a the life of the person on the medal. It seemed to be very similar to what was done in Egypt. Although graphic sounding, for example St. Lawrence was depicted as dying via being roasted over an open fire. It is believed that he was in fact martyred by being placed on a spit and hung over an open fire until he burned to death. This is one of the earliest recollections of medals being used to convey and retell events that happened in the lives of the may.

Medals have long played an important part in the history of the Catholic church from developing it to recollecting its history. But most importantly, it is a way for each of us to honor and commemorate those who have lived and in many cases died living their lives in the way of Christ.

Beth Guide writes about Patron Saint Medals and Religious Jewelry.

Where to Shop for Church Supplies?

If you are someone who is in charge of procuring all Catholic supplies for your church, no doubt you want to do business with an establishment that offers high quality Catholic supplies at reasonable rates. You have come to the right place to get all the information you need to find just the right supplier for your church.

Shop Online

No matter what kind of Catholic supplies you are looking for whether it is church candles or Catholic vestments, it is always a good idea to shop online. The biggest advantage of shopping online is that it can be very cost-effective. Online sellers do not have many of the overheads that retails stores do and this can make a huge difference in their selling price. Also, many online sellers deal in bulk which gets them huge discounts from their suppliers. They tend to pass on these discounts to their customers to attract their business. So when you shop for Catholic supplies online, you can be sure that you are getting the most value for your money.

Choose the Right Firm

When you are dealing with a firm that provides you with Catholic supplies, it is important that you get only high quality items from them. Whether you are buying Catholic vestments or Catholic books, you need to be sure that you will be supplied with items that meet the highest standard of quality. That is why the supplier you choose should be well established and well reputed. A firm that has opened last year may offer you great deals, but you can never be sure of the quality of their products. On the other hand, a firm that has been in the business for decades can only have survived if its customers were happy with its quality of goods. So choose a firm that has a long standing reputation.

Avoid Multiple Vendors

This is a mistake that many buyers of Catholic supplies make. It is important to remember that a Church is likely to need different supplies at different times of the year depending upon religious occasions. They do not stop to consider whether or not their supplier will be able to supply them with all the different items they are likely to need from Christmas supplies to Catholic vestments. Eventually, they end up having to order different supplies from different vendors. This means that the pricing, delivery as well as quality are likely to vary with each different vendor. So avoid that mistake and choose a supplier who is capable of supplying absolutely anything you are ever likely to need for your Church. This will ensure you peace of mind as well as a high level of service from the vendor.

John A Watson is an expert author for writing articles and currently working for Oconnorscatholicsupply.com and has written so many articles on Catholic Vestments, Catholic Supplies, Religious Crosses, Religious Jewelry etc. For more information please visit http://www.oconnorscatholicsupply.com