11 Awesomely Obscure Gifts for the Catholic Hipster In Your Life
Can’t find that perfect gift for the Catholic hipster in your life?
We’ve got you covered. You’re welcome.
[See also: 12 Signs You Might Be a Hipster Traditionalist]
[See also: 11 Awesome Things You Can Buy from Monks]
1) St. Fiacre garden statue
Let the rest of their neighborhood have St. Francis of Assisi garden statues. Any self-respecting Catholic hipster should definitely have a St. Fiacre statue instead.
Who is St. Fiacre, you ask? Just an obscure 7th century Irish saint who built a hospice for travelers in France who was totally holy and awesome. Your Catholic hipster friend will relish explaining this to confused questioners.
Link: Find it here
2) Pope Pius Clock
The last pontiff to take the name Pius was in the mid-20th century, and he was the twelfth pontiff to do so. Then someone realized: 12 Pope Piuses, 12 numbers on a clock… why not make a Pope Pius clock?
And someone did. Pope Pius I’s face is in the 1 position, Pius II is in the 2 position, and so on.
Link: Find it here
3) The Pope’s Cologne
Someone somehow got a hold of a recipe of a cologne that was apparently used by Pope Bl. Pius IX (reigned from 1846 to 1878; the longest papacy ever) and decided to recreate it. The maker says he “followed this complex, exclusive formula meticulously, using the same essential oils that his perfumers used 150 years ago.”
The result? The “Pope’s Cologne: A fresh new fragrance from the past.” Because who doesn’t want to smell like a 19th century pontiff?
Link: Find it here
4) The Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph ebook
You’ve seen and maybe even used the Seven Sorrows and the Seven Joys of Mary devotions. But have you even heard of the Seven Sorrows and Joys of St. Joseph?
Exactly.
Link: Find it here
5) Chaplet of St. Michael beads
So your prayer beads (e.g. rosary) has five sets of ten? That’s so mainstream.
Get your Catholic hipster a Chaplet of St. Michael, which has 9 sets of 3 (plus other beads).
Link: Find it here
6) Multi-colored ichthys belt
Hipsters can be into off-beat belts. The ichthys is an ancient symbol for the Christian faith. Combine the two with crazy colors and a stitched look, and you get a great gift for a Catholic hipster.
Link: Find it here
7) The Raccolta
The Raccolta was a prayer book published in various editions over the course of 150 years by the Vatican. The last edition in English came out in 1957 under Pope Pius XII, and has prayers in English and Latin.
Old, out-of-print prayer book that used to be used a lot but isn’t anymore? Perfect for a Catholic hipster. The harsh, blood red cover with serif black lettering just makes it that much more strange, and thus cool, to have.
Link: Find it here
8) Ut queant laxis coffee mug
Ut queant laxis is a Latin chant in honor of St. John the Baptist that dates back to the 9th century. Hipsters like coffee. Combine the two, and you’ve got a great gift for a Catholic hipster.
Link: Find it here
9) St. Benedict medal t-shirt
Ancient Christian symbol that’s enigmatic to most people displayed in a new context. And yes, it’s sold by a website called “Catholic to the Max,” so you pretty much have to get it.
Link: Find it here
10) Home incense kit
Most people just light scented candles to give their home a special smell. With this home incense kit, your Catholic hipster friend will not only be able to fill their home with the smell of incense, but will be able to do it with their own brass censer.
Link: Find it here
11) Westvleteren 12 beer
Westvleteren 12 is widely considered to be the best beer in the world. And it’s made by monks at the Trappist Abbey of Saint Sixtus in Vleteren, Belgium.
If that’s not cool enough for your Catholic hipster friend, then this little fact should seal the deal: you can only buy it at the abbey’s brewery by reservation, or occasionally at the visitor’s center. That’s it. Oh, and you are only allowed to buy 1 or 2 cases every 60 days (and yes, the monks keep track). It has all of these restrictions because the beer is brewed in limited quantities and is highly sought after.
Link: Find out more here