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A Perfect Compliment To An Already Confirmation

When a person of Catholic faith (typically thirteen years old), makes their Confirmation it symbolizes a public announcement of their own decision to serve God.

During a Confirmation ceremony a person that is being confirmed will go through what is called a laying on of the hands. What happens is the Bishop will recite a prayer for guidance from the Holy Spirit and physically lay his hands on the person being confirmed. Next, will come the anointing phase. This is to help symbolize that the Holy Spirit now lives on inside the confirmed individual.

Holy Spirit Bracelet with Sterling Silver

The confirmed person will also have a sponsor (could be a god parent) help escort them through this process. The sponsor’s role is to reassure and help the confirmed individual keep true to their Catholic faith. Thus, Confirmation is an extremely important moment of faith and devotion to God for a Catholic individual!

At My Special Place they have a large and diverse selection of gifts for someone who is making their Confirmation. It is all priced very economically friendly and is high quality. So when I saw how easy it was to locate and purchase a product, I knew that this is where I wanted to shop for a much needed confirmation gift for my niece. It did not take but a matter of moments before I found the Holy Spirit Bracelet with Sterling Silver. So when I saw this fabulous bracelet, I knew that it was the perfect representation of how I view my niece. Bright, cheerful, and full of life!

Also, I could not resist getting her a Confirmation Photo Album so she would have a special place for all of her photos from that day. Since I know how much her mother loves to take pictures, I almost bought two! Just as her mother is so proud of her for making her Confirmation, I am, too! To be confirmed holds a very special meaning as a Catholic. So when I saw the rosary and Confirmation Photo Album, I knew that these gifts would serve as a nice compliment to an already special day!

Daughter / Faith / First Communion / Parenting / Son / Tradition — No Comments
24
Apr 10

Do Not Forget To Thank Your Child’s Catechism Teacher

When a young Catholic boy or girl makes their First Communion, it is not just a special moment for the child but it is a very proud and rewarding moment for their catechism teacher, as well!

Normally, it is their second grade catechism teacher who spends months preparing a child for their First Communion. When a child makes their Holy Communion, it means that they are going to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The Eucharist (the body and blood of Jesus Christ) is represented by bread and wine, and it is blessed by the priest and shared amongst the congregation. Thus, it is the catechism teacher’s job to help guide the baptized child through the process.

The teacher must help the child to learn and understand the several prayers in which they are to recite immediately upon exiting the confessional during their first confession (also known as the Sacrament of Penance). The Sacrament of Penance takes place about a week before their First Communion. Also, the teacher becomes responsible for making sure that the child understands the actions and prayers that they will need to perform during their First Communion mass.

Foundations January Birthstone Angel Figurine

Soon my son, Owen, will be making his First Communion. As a person of Catholic faith I am very excited for him. Also Owen’s Holy Communion has a special meaning to my mother-in-law. For years she has been teaching second grade catechism, as well as, helping her students understand the communion process. Since Owen is in her catechism class, I feel so fortunate that it is my mother-in-law who will be the one guiding him during this monumental Catholic moment. Therefore, I also knew I wanted to get her a meaningful thank-you gift for all of her hard work and dedication!

As I was browsing various websites, I came across My Special Place and found the perfect gift! My mother-in-law is a huge collector of angels. She has all kinds of collectible angels that arrange anywhere from wood and ceramic to glass. So when I found the Foundations January Birthstone Angel Figurine, I knew she would cherish it! This angel figurine is gorgeous! It has her January birthstone which is a garnet. The saying that is written on the dress is that, “God Smiled the Day You Were Born”. It is so true!

Overall, I am very blessed to have my mother-in-law not only in my life, but as a part of Owen’s! She truly is a wonderful human being that not only cherishes Owen but also loves to volunteer her time to educate other young children about the word of God! My mother-in-law is a valuable member of our Catholic community and I would like to reward her for all of her hard work, time and dedication to educating our young children! What better way to do this, than with a thank-you gift!

Boy's Suit / Family / First Communion / Parenting / Son / Testimonial — 1 Comment
9
Apr 10

A Communion Suit Versatile Enough for a Tight Budget

I have a son who will be making his first communion very soon. I happened to be browsing your website when I saw a John Boy’s Charcoal Grey Suit. I knew that this was the suit I wanted to buy for my son, Noah. In our tough and sometimes unexpected economic times, I wanted to get Noah a suit that he would be able to wear on multiple occasions without breaking the bank. In the words of my father, he would refer to this situation as “more bang for the buck!”

Also, as a mother who knows what kind of messes her son can get into, I was very nervous at the idea of purchasing a white suit (although I do adore the look)! However, I knew that I did not want your typical black or navy blue suit either. So I was hoping to find a suit that was a little bit different in color but at the same time, could still be seen as classic and traditional. The John Boy’s Charcoal Grey suit was exactly what I wanted!

This particular suit was a mother’s dream because it was full of benefits! First of all, it was extremely affordable! Since my husband and I (like many other families) are on a tight budget right now, we have to factor in the cost of such items that we normally do not expect to buy.

Second, upon reading the description of the suit, I thought it was very informative about how versatile this suit is! I love the fact that just because a person purchases a five-piece suit, it does not mean they are required to wear all the items together every single time. Lastly, and the absolute number one reason to purchase the suit (and the only reason a mother could truly appreciate), is this suit is machine washable!

Therefore, I just wanted to say how happy I was that I came across this website! The information on all of the products was very helpful in guiding me to pick the right communion suit for Noah’s big day!

Faith / Family / First Communion / Parenting / Son / Testimonial — 2 Comments
8
Apr 10

Online Shopping Helps Busy Moms, Like Me!

Hi! My name is Amy and I just wanted to take a moment out of my time to give you a well-deserved compliment about your products!

I am a working and recently divorced mother of three rowdy and adorable boys. They range in age from three to ten years of age. As you can imagine, they keep me extremely busy and my time has become very limited! Therefore, I have come to look towards online shopping as a savior of mine on multiple occasions!

Recently, I had such an occasion where I found myself frustratingly searching the internet for a communion gift for my middle son, Zachary, but also his godmother, Crystal. Let me tell you, it was only a matter of moments before I was able to find such meaningful gifts on your website!

As I mentioned before, since I am recently divorced, my children are now spending every other weekend traveling back and forth from my house to their father’s. So when I saw the boy’s Saint Christopher sterling medal and chain, there was no doubt in my mind about purchasing this as Zachary’s communion gift. Since Saint Christopher is thought to protect travelers, I knew this would mean a lot to Zachary and how much he would appreciate it!

On the other hand, Crystal is planning on purchasing Zachary’s outfit, rosary and bible for him as his communion gift. This now meant that I also had to find a meaningful thank-you gift for her. However, this became pretty easy to do once I saw the Godson Holy Communion photo frame! It was so classic and gorgeous that I knew it would make the perfect gift for her.

I also could not resist the March aquamarine Birthstone Crystal and Sterling Cross Necklace! Since Crystal and Zachary were born in the month of March, I knew it would hold a special place in her heart to receive it. So once again, thank you so much for carrying such sentimental and gorgeous products such as these!

Faith / Parenting / Tradition / baptism — No Comments
3
Feb 10

Choosing the Right Baptismal Outfit

My nephew, Steven, and his wife, Fran, have been preparing for the baptism of their first newborn son Logan. Most of the planning is done. They have asked our cousins to be the god-parents. They have talked with their pastor and have set the date. They have selected a caterer for the large family gathering that is planned. There is only one thing left and that is selecting a baptismal outfit.

Stephen just assumed that Logan would wear a christening romper with a little bow tie, a cap and white shoes. But Fran told him that she wanted a baptismal outfit that could be worn by all their future children whether they had another boy or a girl. That being the case, she wanted to go with the more traditional long baptismal gown. This gown could also be passed on as an heirloom to the grandchildren.

Stephen thinks they should go with the romper for Logan and then this outfit could be passed on to the next male child. And if their next child happens to be a girl, they can buy her a christening dress and that could be passed on to any other female children they may have. Fran does not agree with this idea. She wants all their future children to wear the same outfit.

I tend to agree with Fran. It seems more like a family tradition to have all the children wear the same outfit. This means the outfit should be the long baptismal gown. I have suggested that they should take a survey of the extended family and let the results dictate what outfit they buy since they cannot agree.

What outfit do you think they should select?

Daughter / First Communion / Girls / Parenting / Tradition — No Comments
15
Jan 10

Calming First Communion Jitters

My husband and I took our three boys, their wives and the six grandchildren to Disney World last winter. We had a wonderful time. We knew that this trip would be magical especially for Anna who was eight years old at the time. She is very much a girly girl but is rather shy. She loves fancy dresses and princess stories. She was so excited to attend the Disney World Princess Breakfast. This is an event where you eat breakfast in Cinderella’s Castle. While you are eating, the various Disney princess characters walk around and talk with the children. They let you take pictures with the princesses and they sign autographs.

Anna looked forward to this event more so than any other thing we had planned at Disney World. She was excited the morning of the breakfast but was nervous about talking to the characters. She dressed up in a beautiful Cinderella costume for the event. It took a lot of coaxing to get Anna to go up to Cinderella for her autograph. But after a lot of nervous tears, Cinderella saw that she was having a hard time so she came over and talked privately to Anna. She told Anna that she should not be nervous because she looked so beautiful. Cinderella told her that she was so impressed that Anna dressed up for the special occasion and that it was an honor to have her as a guest at her castle. She asked Anna if she could take her picture and asked if she would sign her book of favorite guests. Anna was so happy after that. She was so surprised that Cinderella wanted something from her. It calmed all her fears.

This spring, Anna made her First Holy Communion. The day started out well. Anna was excited to once again dress up like a princess in her beautiful communion dress. She put on her ornate veil and her long white gloves and her fancy pearl white shoes. She looked just like a princess.

But once again, Anna became nervous and the tears began to flow once she arrived at church. I sat her on my lap and reminded her of our trip to Disney World and what Cinderella told her. I told her that God feels the same way today on her First Holy Communion. She should not be nervous because she looks so beautiful and God is so impressed that she dressed up for this special event. And God is so happy that she has come to His church today. He wants her to give her the body and blood of Christ and come into her heart.

That did it! Anna stopped crying and she began to smile. The stress of all her preparation and the anticipations of this day were relieved. She went up with her class and received her First Holy Communion. The day was a great success.

Daughter / Family / Parenting / Son / Tradition / baptism — No Comments
9
Jan 10

Our Son’s Baptism

The day of my son’s christening was the hottest day of the year! Lukas was born in July and baptized in August. He wore the same baptismal outfit that I, as well as my brothers and sisters, were baptized in.

My husband and I had a hard time choosing God parents so we put names in a hat. Yes, that is how we chose my son’s godparents. (Granted, we only threw names of people we knew would aid him in his relationship with God–and we trusted them!)

At the time our daughter was 2 ½ years old and the baptism was following the 11am mass–which fell at nap time, of course. We were the only family having our baby baptized, as we were having a family friend baptize our son. He was a retired priest who had performed our wedding and also baptized our daughter two years prior. This priest had always been an important “member” of our family, so I was honored he agreed to the baptism.

Anyway, as it was so warm outside and it was naptime for my daughter. She was so tired! Thank God we were the only family there! I would have been mortified! She was crying, running around, screaming and having temper tantrums–which surprised everyone because she was usually really good in church. My husband’s cousin tried so hard to keep her distracted and quiet but there was no calming her down. Finally, worn out, she just fell asleep at the church snuggled into her baby brother’s baptism gift–a gorgeous cross blanket. She was just exhausted.

After Lukas’ baptism, we went back to the house for a luncheon–and wouldn’t you know it, his sister slept through the whole thing! Now when we go back and watch the video tape we all laugh and Lukas teases his sister, telling her “some day he will get her back from stealing the show at his baptism.”

Daughter / Faith / Family / Girls / Parenting / Tradition — No Comments
8
Jan 10

My Daughter’s Baptism

I will never forget the day my daughter, Samantha, was baptized! It was my very first Mother’s day on Sunday, May 12, 1996. It was a warm, sunny spring morning as we made our way to the church that my family has belonged to for years, St. Bernardine of Sienna Catholic church. In fact, it was the same church where my husband and I were married at 18 months before and where I was baptized.

We asked Father Partensky, the same priest who married Glen and I, to perform our daughter’s baptism. Having the same priest who married us, be the same one to perform our first child’s baptism meant a lot to us. Father Partensky is a very warm, easy going man with a gift to make everyone feel comfortable and secure. When we walked into the church for the baptism he said, jokingly, “If that baby cries, we are done!” Believe it or not Samantha did not make a peep! She was incredible well-behaved the entire time, which made for some great memories of a wonderful experience.

Not only did Samantha behave like an angel that day, she looked absolutely heavenly in her baptismal gown. It took a few weeks to carefully chose her baptismal gown and I am glad that we took the time. We chose a baptismal gown that we wanted to stay in our family, and become a heirloom that she could pass down as a tradition to her own children one day. Today, I have it carefully packed away to give to her one day for our future grandchildren.

I remember that we had a hard time picking her godparents. My husband and I wanted family but wanted to make sure that we picked someone who we knew would be there for Samantha to turn to if she had questions or concerns about her religious life. We finally asked my younger sister, Amanda and my husband’s brother, John. Both our siblings were truly honored. It was really a blessing to share this day with both of our families.

Among her baptismal gifts, one of my favorites was a book from her godfather, John, talking about guardian angels. It was a beautiful children’s picture book called Angels Watch Over Me. Even though she was a baby, I remember reading it to her almost every night. It eventually turned into a bedtime ritual for us, and even though she is no longer a young child, it is still one of her favorite books. My oldest sister gave her a beautiful pin cross (which she has worn for her Baptism, Communion and Confirmation) and my cousin knitted her a sweater, bonnet and booties set that was absolutely adorable. I will always have fond memories of my daughter’s baptism.

Faith / Family / Parenting — No Comments
6
Jan 10

Protecting Our Loved Ones in the Military

Many of us have family and friends serving in the military. We often feel helpless because our loved ones are so far away and we fear for their health and safe return. During these times of sadness or frustration we need only to turn to our faith in God.

Because of our faith, we pray to God for our family and friends in the military during these difficult times. We can also invoke the help of the saints in heaven to pray to the Lord our God for our loved ones who are in the service. These great saints, who lived on this earth just as we do now, and suffered the same turmoil we face, were victorious in living their life in accordance with God’s will. Certain Catholic saints that are associated with specific situations in life are referred to as patron saints. These patron saints intercede to God for us. We can take our special needs to them and know they will listen to our prayers, and pray to God with us. Two saints considered to be patron saints of those in the military are St. Michael and St Christopher.

St Michael was the leader of the army of God during the Lucifer uprising. We pray that St Michael will “defend us in battle and be are safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. “

St Christopher, which means Christ bearer, is considered to be the patron saint of travelers. He was a man of great size and strength.

A great gift idea for those in the military- the army, the navy, the marines or the air force, would be a St Michael or St Christopher medal. Wearing these medals honors and reveres the patron saints and reminds the wearer of the saint’s sacrifices and victories over the temporal world. The medals give courage to those who wear them, and they also give a sense of security and protection that the “church triumphant” is praying for their health and safety.

We ask these two great saints to intercede for us to God the Almighty for the protection of our loved ones in the military.

Boy's Suit / Confirmation / Parenting / Son — No Comments
4
Jan 10

A Boy’s Suit: When to buy

I am in such a quandary and I am hoping that someone can put my over-planning mind at ease. My son, Ethan, is making his Confirmation this April and I need to buy him a suit to wear.

I started looking this past week for a boy’s suit that he can wear this upcoming April and I am finding myself in a dilemma of what size to buy. I know that most parents who purchase an outfit a few months in advance have some concerns as to whether it will fit or not when the special day arrives. But my story with Ethan becomes a little more complicated – he was recently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

For the past year, Ethan has been complaining of various stomach ailments and as a result started losing weight, but we did not know why. After months of specialists, we finally found an answer why – Crohn’s disease. Although there is no cure for this disease, it can be controlled through certain medications and diet. For the past few months, we have adjusted Ethan’s diet and he has been on the new medications, which are showing promising results. He is feeling better, looking stronger and has even gained back some of his original weight, which is a side effect of his medications. I am very thankful that my prayers were answered and he is on the road to recovery. The doctors have said that he should get back to the weight that he used to be, it would only be a matter of time.

Thus, here is the question that I keep asking myself. Do I purchase the suit now and hope it fits later (after he gains the weight) or do I wait until the last minute and buy one a few weeks before (and take the chance that they will have his size)?

I am also hoping to get at least a few more uses out of this suit. My sister, Sherry is getting married a month later in May and I would like to see him wear the suit again to her wedding. I know I should wait but I am hoping to save some money. What to do, what to do?

Parenting

A Perfect Compliment To An Already Confirmation

Do Not Forget To Thank Your Child’s Catechism Teacher

A Communion Suit Versatile Enough for a Tight Budget

Online Shopping Helps Busy Moms, Like Me!

Choosing the Right Baptismal Outfit

Calming First Communion Jitters

Our Son’s Baptism

My Daughter’s Baptism

Protecting Our Loved Ones in the Military

A Boy’s Suit: When to buy

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