Hilltop Gift Shop at Mt. Carmel Thriving

Father Brad Doyle and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church parishioner Michelle Garon recently welcomed visitors on the porch of the Catholic Hill and Art gift shop, a gentle breeze providing spring’s last gasp of cool air.

The fledgling gift shop was hours away from opening but already visitors to the historic St. Francisville church were meandering over to the store.

“Go right in,” Father Doyle encouraged. 

The paint is barely dry on  Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s fledgling gift shop but business appears to be brisk. The Catholic gift shop is what Father Doyle envisioned upon his arrival and gained momentum during a brainstorming brunch with several parishioners this past fall. 

“Most good ideas happen over a good meal,” Father Doyle would later joke.

He was aware similar gift shops at Holy Rosary Church in St. Amant, St. Helena Church in Amite and Cypress Springs Mercedarian Prayer Center in Baton Rouge were thriving, but he also logically reasoned that since celebrated St. Francisville is a tourist mecca, a similar shop at Mount Carmel would be successful. 

“I knew there was a lot of potential for engaging visitors in an intentional way (in St. Francisville) with so many people coming through,” Father Doyle said. 

“Beauty is part of the new evangelization: art statues, rosaries,” he added. “We can evangelize with reason, through what we say, but we can evangelize through others ways. Beauty is an important part of that.”

Once the decision was made to open the shop, attention focused on who might be the manager. Parishioner Michelle Garon, who has lived in St. Francisville for the past three years, had previously asked Father Doyle what role she might serve in the parish while caring for a newborn at home.

“(Father Doyle) said, ‘Run a gift shop,’ ” Garon said, smiling.

Garon and Father Doyle visited similar gift shops in the area gleaning valuable tips, starting with the basics of how to open a gift shop, how to order inventory and what will pique customers’ interest. 

Not long after the initial brunch, renovations soon began on a 101-year-old building on the church campus, which at various times served as the parish office, convent and storage area. By March the cash register at Catholic Hill Arts and Gifts began ringing. 

The store features an array of Catholic merchandise, from rosaries to Bibles to first Communion gifts, to an impressive collection of books.

Children’s gifts include unique baby bibs, including one that even looks like a priest’s collar as well as books and chewable rosaries.

Perhaps most striking is an art gallery in the rear of the store featuring works from several renowned south Louisiana artists, some of whom were also featured at the Catholic Art Showcase in Baton Rouge on May 6. Father Doyle pointed out that several of the artists have studied in Italy. 

“It’s definitely a (trial and error) process,” Garon said of managing the inventory. “As a parent, knowing what I would buy for my kids (helps determine the order).”

Added Father Doyle: “We will see what (customers) go for, what they want and will enjoy. So we morph and change.”

The gift shop is open on Sundays from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and from 1-6 p.m., on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, which offers an opportunity for visitors to experience more than just the stunning beauty of the church. Mass is celebrated on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. so visitors are able to visit St. Francisville, stop at the church and attend Mass.

Eucharistic adoration is scheduled from noon to 5 p.m. on Thursdays, followed by evening prayer.  

“It’s good for prayer groups, ACTS, rosary groups,” Father Doyle said. “We want people to see it as a pilgrimage (and) have something for visitors. They get here, the church is always open, never  been locked for any length of time in its history, which is what Pope Francis desires,  except maybe for a hurricane.”

Father Doyle considers the gift shop a ministry and said the profits will go to the social outreach ministry of the parish. 

“It is a real joy to me,” he said “I’ve learned a lot and gotten to know so many parishioners. Some of my favorite people are recent RCIA graduate converts. They have a real desire to have a physical display of their faith.”

Garon is assisted by 15 volunteers who help man the store.

“Our ministry is like our own little circle now,” Garon  said.

For more information, visit https://catholichillartandgifts.com/.