knowing your catholic customer

Catholic InternetS T O R E F R O N T S

Knowing a Catholic AudiencePresented by Ian Rutherford


Sponsored by howtorunacatholicstore.com

Who Am I?• Ian Rutherford, founder and President of Aquinas and

More (www.aquinasandmore.com) and howtorunacatholicstore.com

• Family with eleven kids and a dozen chickens living on the prairie in Colorado

• [email protected]• Blog: howtorunacatholicstore.com• I’m Catholic



• Considerations before you start carrying Catholic products• What types of gifts Catholics are looking for• What interests do Catholics have• The liturgical year• What you should carry• What you should know

What are we going to talk about?



• Honestly, what do you believe about Catholics?• Don’tsacrificeyourprinciples• Why do you want to carry Catholic products?• Are there enough Catholics in your area to take this plunge?• Would you be competing against an existing Catholic store?• Do you have enough knowledge of the Catholic Faith and

Catholic stuff to actually be helpful?

Considerations before taking the plunge



So what are Catholics looking for?• A gift for an event they forgot that happens the next day.

• Baptism cards and gifts• Depending on the season, First Communion, ConfirmationorOrdinationgifts• You have to have these last-minute items in

stock and be able to help people choose.



So what are Catholics looking for?• Baptism

• Board books• A crib medal• A plaque for pictures• Congratulation cards



So what are Catholics looking for?• First Communion

• Rosaries• Children’s missals• Bible• Plaques• Cards



So what are Catholics looking for?• Confirmation

• Patron saint medals and books about saints• Holy Spirit pins, medals, etc.• Bibles• Catechisms• Cards



So what are Catholics looking for?• A new missal

• OneofthebiggesteventsinCatholicworship happened last November• The translation for the Mass was revised• Most people who wants to follow along with the Mass are buying new missals• You will need to know what kind they want and what

kinds are available



What are Catholics looking for?• A Bible or Bible study

• Yes, Catholics do read the Bible but probably can’t recite verses on demand• There are three main translations used by Catholics

• Revised Standard• New American• Douay Rheims



What are Catholics looking for?• A personal devotional item

• Rosaries• A statue• Scapulars• Art



1• Bible information• RSV – 1965 publication joint Catholic / Protestant translation with

an update in 2006

• formal equivalent translation – more literal

• Not to be mistaken with the New Revised Standard Bible which is a

completely different translation

• Used for all Bible verses in the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Four things you need to know



1• Bible information• NewAmericanBible – Produced by the United States Conference of

Bishops.Lastupdatedin2011whentheOldTestament

translation was completed. The New

Testament was translated in 1986.

• Dynamic equivalence

• Closest to what you’ll hear at Mass but is

considered by many to be a rather

pedestrian translation




1• Bible information• DouayRheims–NewTestamentproducedinRheimsin1582.Old

Testament produced in Douay in 1609-1610. Translation used the

Latin Vulgate, not original sources.

• A revised version was produced in 1752 which is usually called the

Challoner edition and is the most typical version available today.

He used the King James version as a reference for his revisions.

This is ironic because when the King James Bible was produced

the most frequently cited source for translation reference was the

Rheims New Testament.




1• Bible information• Best Bible study series is the Great

Adventure distributed by Catholic Word• Best study Bibles include the Navarre

series and for something a little less comprehensive for the NT, the Ignatius Study Bible

Four Things You Need to Know



2• What’s a Missal?• A book that Catholics use to follow along with the Mass• Contains Bible readings for each day• Can either be just for Sundays (St. Joseph Missal) or everyday (Daily Roman Missal)




3• Patron Saints• Saints are given patronage of certain causes, usually based on some-

thing relating to their lives. Common ones include:St. Joseph - patron of familiesSt. Christopher - patron of travelersSt. Michael the Archangel - patron of the militarySt. Peregrine - patron of cancer patientsSt. Nicholas - patron of childrenSt. Lucy - patron of those with eye diseasesSt. Monica - patron of those who have left the Faith




4• Where to get Catholic items and information• Join the Catholic Marketing Network• Get advice about what is good Catholic literature (HowToRunACatholicStore.com)• Places for Catholics with questions to get good information

• Catholic.com• EWTN.com• Cuf.org




Questions? Suggestions?

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