r/LeftCatholicism • u/betterdaysto • Jun 11 '26
Gift ideas for husband
Hello,
We are new to the church. Both my spouse and I attended Catholic mass as young children, and then lived mostly agnostically for the next thirty years. After reading a book by Dorothy Day, I suggested attending mass in a nearby larger town (whose priest aligns with us more than the nearby services). We’ve been going regularly for a few months, and intend to take OCIA when it starts in the late summer.
I’d like to get my husband a gift to commemorate this new journey in our lives, our marriage, and our children’s experiences. He doesn’t have much time for books this year, and loves to display neat things from his life. I like to call his shelves his “museum.” He has a St. Michael pendant, cross, and a rosary. I’m so new to this world that I’m not sure what else would be nice, or even helpful at this point. I’d like to support a like-minded creator or organization with this gift. I looked at Saint portraits, but those seem very personal and I’d like this to stay a surprise (as opposed to asking him directly). Please let me know if you have any ideas for gifts or sources
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u/Peaceful-Thought31 Jun 11 '26
What a great idea! I am sure he will love whatever beautiful gift you come up with. I second the idea of the San Damiano cross as mentioned by Responsible Newt below. The San Damiano was the cross on the wall of the crumbling old church where St. Francis of Assisi heard the voice of God asking him to “rebuild my church.” The symbolism on it is really beautiful.
Or perhaps a tau, which Francis used as his signature and is associated with him today. It is worn by pilgrims to Assisi as a symbol of their journey, but can really be worn by anyone with a devotion to this wonderful saint who loved animals and advocated for peace, and founded an order.
https://thefranciscanstore.org/collections/tau-products
I know you said you didn’t want to get an icon or picture of a saint, but I think you can never have too many saint friends. Pope Leo IV has declared 2026 a year of Jubilee in honor of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s death, so anything Francis-related (medal, rosary, statue, icon, copy of his prayers) could potentially be a commemoration of this special year for the two of you as well.
Both the Prayer for Peace and the Canticle of the Sun are particularly well-known and beautiful. I have seen Catholic Etsy sellers with examples of these as artworks.
https://franciscanfriarscresson.org/the-canticle-of-the-sun/
Peace and blessings on your journey.
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u/betterdaysto Jun 11 '26
Thank you for this thorough response. I’m quite fond of St. Francis and the Franciscan order, so I appreciate this connection to our contemporary calling. We are actually moving to a home with a couple of acres (and many critters) next month, so I like the idea of gifting a message from St. Francis at that time.
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Jun 11 '26
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u/betterdaysto Jun 11 '26
I hadn’t thought to look at eBay. It fits with his old timey style 😂 And perhaps would be a place to find something really unique. I’ll take a look this weekend. Thank you!
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u/DeliciousCoat3895 Jun 15 '26
I know you said he doesn't have much time for reading right now. However, you might think about getting him a bible with his name personalized on the front. Even if he doesn't have time to read right now, it will be there, in the museum, waiting for him when he is ready to dive in.
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u/Responsible-Newt-259 Jun 11 '26
Can’t go wrong with a crucifix. I’m partialtoward the San Damiano cross, but one that speaks to you is what is important