Havertown shop provides Obama with gift for pontiff
Saturday, July 11, 2009
By LOIS PUGLIONESI

Delaware County Times Correspondent

HAVERFORD — Norma DiCocco, co-founder of the St. Jude Shop in Havertown, bears special devotion to St. John Neumann after experiencing what she believes was a miracle 30 years ago.It was then that a dangerous heart abnormality threatened to take the life of her 10-year-old nephew. Doctors gave him six months to live.DiCocco turned to priests at the National Shrine of St. John Neumann. The priests suggested holding a special mass over the beloved saint’s body, enshrined in a glass casket under an altar at St. Peter’s Church in Philadelphia.

About a week after the family had gathered to pray, DiCocco’s sister took her son to the Mayo Clinic. Doctors there encouraged the family to try a promising surgical procedure.When DiCocco’s nephew came out of the operating room, his lips were no longer tinged with blue, and her sister knew he’d recover. Now 46, he is married and has a family.So DiCocco is thrilled beyond words to have played a role in President Barack Obama’s presentation to Pope Benedict XVI of a stole once placed on St. John Neumann’s remains. President Obama presented the relic when he exchanged gifts with the Pope during a visit Friday, following a three-day summit with world leaders.

The State Department consulted the DiCoccos for a gift suggestion prior to the president’s visit. In addition to fostering spirituality with books, gifts and music, the DiCoccos maintain a liturgical arts studio renowned for the design, construction and restoration of church interiors.Officials at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., contracted the studio last year to design a chair for Benedict’s visit in April 2008. Norma DiCocco’s son and president of St. Jude Shop, Inc., Louis DiCocco III said, “The people in Washington remembered and contacted us to help them with a gift the president could provide the Holy Father.”Although an antique chalice was on the list of possibilities, the DiCoccos realized something more historic was in order. They reached out to friends and institutions in the region, including the Redemptorist Fathers, an order of priests from St. Peter’s Church, to which St. John Neumann belonged.“When St. John Neumann was re-dressed there was a stole he had on, which they suggested would be appropriate for the president to give the Holy Father,” Louis DiCocco said.

Born in Bohemia in 1811, St. John Neumann “came here and started over 38 Catholic schools and took care of immigrants who had nothing. His life was a direct reflection of Catholic history in Philadelphia and America,” Norma DiCocco said.“St. John Neumann started as a simple, humble immigrant and later became a saint. What better gift to give than a piece that was worn by him, an immigrant who helped Catholic history flourish here in Philadelphia,” said Louis DiCocco. Apparently, the president agreed.

Louis DiCocco personally transferred the sash to Washington in early July.Ornately embroidered with red, blue and gold, the cream-colored stole is considered a second class relic because it touched St. John Neumann’s body. “It’s a priceless item,” Norma DiCocco said.By Friday afternoon, Louis DiCocco said he had received word from the White House that the stole will be housed in a “place of honor.”Said Louis DiCocco, “It’s nice to know a piece of Philadelphia Catholic history will be displayed in the Vatican. We’re all very humbled by the whole experience and happy to be of service to the Holy Father as well as to the country.”

Vatican Spokesman say Pope was pleased with Presidential Gift

The pope thanked the president for the gift and looked very pleased, saying the saint had been "a wonderful person."

Father Lombardi, Vatican Spokesman, told pool reporters that giving the pope such a relic was "a sign of care, of sensitivity."

St. John Neumann's stole to be Obama gift to Pope
By Kristin E. Holmes
Inquirer Staff Writer


The owners of the DiCocco Family St. Jude Shop are getting to be experts at this. When there's a presentation for the pope, call the store in Havertown. Twice in the last 15 months, the store owners have been tapped for their Benedict XVI know-how. The first time, they helped supply a specially made chair the pope used during a U.S. visit. This time, they assisted the White House in finding a gift for him. That present will be given to Benedict as part of President Obama's visit to the Vatican tomorrow.

The box will contain a stole that had been draped around the enshrined body of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia for nearly 20 years. "It's a sacred gift," said the Rev. Kevin Moley, pastor of the National Shrine of St. John Neumann in Northern Liberties. "I'm glad [the administration] asked St. Jude, and St. Jude asked us, because it represents the U.S. and Rome. We should all be pleased and thankful." White House officials declined to confirm the gift or discuss the matter before the meeting tomorrow.

At the end of June, a State Department official called the shop and asked for advice on a papal gift, said Louis DiCocco. The official first suggested an antique chalice, but then gave up the idea, hoping for something with more historical significance. DiCocco and his brother Robert began discussing possibilities. They called their contacts in the Catholic community. When they phoned the National Shrine of St. John Neumann, officials there suggested the stole, Louis DiCocco said.


"We told [State Department officials] that we had something very precious, representing Catholic history in America and specifically Philadelphia history," Louis DiCocco said. State Department officials thought the sash of St. John Neumann was perfect. The ivory stole, with gold, crimson, and blue trim, was wrapped around the body of Neumann, the first U.S. bishop to be named a saint.

Born in what is now the Czech Republic, Neumann immigrated to the United States and served as bishop of Philadelphia from 1852 until his death in 1860. He was known for his service to immigrant communities, and built 35 Catholic schools in eight years. A member of the Redemptorist Fathers and Brothers religious order, he was canonized in 1977.



Mrs. Norma DiCocco, CEO of the St. Jude Shop, pictured with son Louis DiCocco III. Louis is President of St. Jude Shop and Director of the St. Jude Liturgical Arts Studio.

The sash was in place under a glass encasement starting in 1989. It was removed in 2007 when the body was re-dressed with the help of Cardinal Justin Rigali. The sash then was kept at the church, Moley said, until Louis DiCocco came calling. DiCocco and his family have operated a series of religious gift shops since 1964, when DiCocco's parents, Louis Jr., now deceased, and Norma, founded the first one in Havertown. The family now has three additional outlets, in Philadelphia, Malvern, and Cherry Hill.

In 2008, the store was contacted by Msgr. Walter Rossi, of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, to provide a chair for Benedict. The pope met with bishops on a trip to the nation's capital in April that year and needed a a special chair for the occasion. The chair was designed at the DiCocco shop and built by a father-son team of woodworkers from Bucks County. A year later, when the State Department needed a gift, somebody in Washington remembered the DiCocco Family St. Jude Shop, Louis DiCocco said.
On July 1, DiCocco placed Neumann's stole in a box, drove it to Washington, and hand-delivered it to State Department officials.

"How many times do you get a chance to do something not once, but twice for the Holy Father?" DiCocco said. Norma DiCocco calls it a highlight of her 45 years in a family business that she calls a ministry. "We take this as privilege," Norma DiCocco said. "We are beyond words."

The picture below shows the body of St. John Neumann wearing the vestment set which includes the stole which will be presented to the Holy Father. The stole, a vestment symbolizing the priestly office, is worn under the larger outer vestment called a chasuble. The stole, because it rested over the shoulders of St. John Neumann for nearly twenty years, is now considered a second class relic of our beloved saint.

St. Jude Liturgical Arts Studio provides President Obama's gift to Pope Benedict XVI

WHAT THE PRESIDENT WILL GIVE THE POPE?
from the blog of EWTN's Raymond Arroyo


I am told by a source in Philadelphia that the President will present the Pope with a stole that once belonged to St. John Neumann when he visits Rome on the 10th. Apparently, [Obama]administration officials contacted "The DiCocco Family's St. Jude Shop" in Pennsylvania for help in locating an "appropriate gift" for the Holy Father. The DiCocco's are no stranger to the Pope Benedict. They created the Papal Chair for Benedict's visit to the National Shrine last year. (They also worked on some of the furnishings at Mother Angelica's Shrine in Hanceville).
My source tells me that St. Peter's Church at the St. John Neumann Shrine donated the stole--a second class relic-- for the special occasion. Now you know what to look for during the President's meeting with the Pope.
-Raymond Arroyo


The DiCocco Family has a history of devotion to this special Saint of Philadelphia. In 2000 Mrs. Norma DiCocco, CEO of the St. Jude Shop, traveled to the Czech Republic on a pilgrimage to the saint's hometown only to discover that knowledge about their most holy countryman was scarce. In fact many of the youth of the area were not even aware that their hometown had provided the church with a saint! The area was poor and even after many years, locals were still not able to raise enough money for a statue of their saint for the local church.

Mrs. DiCocco's heart was moved and she responded with the same generous spirit of ministry that inspired her, along with her late husband Louis, to found the St. Jude Shop nearly fifty years ago. She made plans at once for the St. Jude Liturgical Arts to begin work on a magnificent life-sized statue of the saint which was then donated to the town of Prachatice, birthplace of St. John Neumann. When asked to comment on the gift, Mrs. DiCocco stated, "I've had answers to prayers through his intercession myself and wanted to see his devotion spread." ...a gift of love from our family to the brethren of one of our most beloved Saints!

Historic Icon to be Enthroned

The Blessed Mother side altar in the Cathedral displays the framework for Our Lady of Perpetual Help icon.
By Lou Baldwin

Special feature in The Archdiocese of Philadelphia's

Catholic Standard & Times

An heirloom copy of the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be enthroned in the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul by Cardinal Justin Rigali on June 13 at the 5:15 p.m. Vigil Mass. At the same time the Cardinal will bless four new or refurbished marble side shrines in the Cathedral. This includes shrines dedicated to St. Joseph and St. Katharine Drexel on the north side and shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and St. John Neumann on the south side. Each has a newly sculpted seven-foot marble statue of the honored saint over its altar. The altars of the shrines to Our Lady and St. Joseph are new to the cathedral, but formerly graced North Philadelphia’s St. Boniface Church (1866-2006) and date from the late 19th-century. The statue on the Blessed Mother altar is a rendition of the image on the Miraculous Medal. It is at this altar also where the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help will be enshrined in a marble frame.

In fact, this same image and frame, now beautifully restored, graced this altar for more than a century when it was at St. Boniface.What is completely new on all four shrines are the imposing marble statues and the marble reredos which serve as backdrops, explained Msgr. John McIntyre, secretary to Cardinal Rigali who also noted the incorporation of Our Lady’s image in its original frame and altar is appropriate.“The Cardinal does have a great devotion to Our Lady of Perpetual Help,” he said.

The design and building of the four shrines took about two years, according to Louis DiCocco, president of St. Jude Shop, the firm that undertook the project.The four marble statues each weigh between 5,500 and 6,000 pounds and were sculpted in St. Jude Liturgical Arts Division's studio in Italy. The Neumann and Drexel statues were especially challenging because they are based on recent saints whose true likenesses are known and had to be captured by the sculptors, according to DiCocco. It was especially important that the original altar be retained at the St. Katharine Shrine because it was donated in the 19th century by St. Katharine herself, along with her sisters, Elizabeth and Louise, as a memorial to their deceased parents, Francis and Emma Drexel.

Because all four altars were crafted in the 19th-century, they used marbles which have become extremely rare and the level of craftsmanship in their construction can’t be duplicated today, DiCocco said.In addition to utilizing the altars from St. Boniface, the shrines to the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph are enclosed by sections of the original marble altar rail from that same church, DiCocco noted, and the new marble reredos, embellished with Venetian gold mosaics, match the older work in color, design and style.

The four shrines, planned and executed with a unified vision, replace the more eclectic original works each in a different style and constructed at different times. When reconstructed, “they maintain a classical look consistent with the Cathedral,” DiCocco said. “His eminence has a keen eye for that.” The original icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, also known as Our Mother of Perpetual Help, is painted on walnut in Byzantine style. It is believed to have been executed in Crete in the Middle Ages and taken to Rome in the 15th century, where it achieved a reputation for miracles granted to supplicants who prayed at its shrine. The image shows Mary holding the child Jesus in her protective arms with accompanying symbols suggesting He has received a premonition of His future suffering and death on the cross. The original has been in the custody of the Redemptorist Fathers in Rome’s St. Alphonsus Church since the 19th century.

The reproduction, which was donated by the Redemptorists, is an especially fine copy originally obtained from the Vatican and was given pride of place at St. Boniface, a church conducted by that congregation for much of its history.“Our Lady of Perpetual Help is our patroness,” said Redemptorist Father Bruce Lewandowski, pastor of Visitation B.V.M. Parish. “We are in 75 countries and wherever we go we promote her devotion.” His own parish conducts devotion to Mary under this title in three languages — English, Spanish and Vietnamese — and a number of the parishioners will be at the Cathedral for the enthronement ceremony.

The work on the four shrines is part of an ongoing restoration of the Cathedral.“All of the work that has been done so far is a beautiful addition to this historic basilica that is such an inspiration to all, both Catholic and non-Catholic alike, who come here to worship,” said the Cathedral’s pastor, Msgr. Michael T. McCulken. “Through the Heritage of Faith — Vision of Hope capital campaign we hope to preserve the basilica for generations to come with all of the work that is yet to be done.”

Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and a freelance writer.

Save on your Vestment Purchases!

$25 coupon on your next purchase of vestments. St. Jude Shop has the broadest collection of vestment to choose from. Just use the promotion code vest123. The $25 coupon offer is good until May 31, 2009. Click on the photo below to see the Internet's widest selection of vestments.

Mass Linen Sale Extended and Free Shipping for Deacons!

Dear Friend in Christ,
Due to popular demand, we are extending our huge sale on all Mass and Communion Linens with discounts up to 25% on our wide selection. Click on the picture below for the complete of items and discounts.

Attention Deacons FREE Shipping We are pleased to offer FREE Shipping on the broadest selection of vestments and accessories for your every need - Dalmatics, Albs, Deacon Stoles, Books & Rituals, Rings and more. Click on the photo below to go the Deacon Section of our web site. Use the promotion code DEACON when purchasing.

The St. Jude Shop is pleased to annouce its new TEXT TO SAVE program.Sign up for the text to save program andyou’ll receive valuable bi-weekly couponswith savings up to 40% off on selected items.You can use coupon codes in our stores oronline when you purchase from our web sites!

Enrollment is Easy!

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Our Family helping yours!

We’ve designed this program to help families save during these tough economic times. When you want to give that special someone an inspirational gift to celebrate the holidays, sacraments, special events, or just because... We’ll do our best to help you stay within your budget. That’s what family business is all about!

Essential Church Supplies for Lent and Easter

The links and photos in this article have been created for your convenience. Just click a key word or photo to be taken directly to the St. Jude Shop site for more information.

As we approach Lent we are often asked about religious items that might help us in prayer and remind us about Jesus and His Suffering, Death and Resurrection. One of the most inspiring is the crown of thorns. These are made from real thorn bushes, Most of the thorns average between 2 to 4 inches. They are made by hand and we are told that the thorns are so sharp that the craftspeople who make them wear out a pair of heavy leather gloves every 2 days. They are available in 2 sizes. The 10-12’ size is most seen as a table top display in a classroom or as part of a side shrine in church. The 20-24” size can be hung on the wall or on a large cross. We also have available wooden nails and purple cloth to drape around the cross.

Stations of the Cross devotions are a Lenten tradition. Many clergy will wear a purple cope for this devotion. Processional candlesticks and the processional crucifix is often carried. Review these items to be sure they are in good condition. We carry a wide selection of Stations of the Cross books for the congregation to participate with the presiding minister. Benediction usually follows the Stations of the Cross. The consecrated host is placed in a Monstrance or Ostensorium and venerated by the participants. Incense is placed in a Censer with lit charcoal and as the sweet smelling smoke rises we are reminded of the sweetness of our prayer rising up to God. We carry a wide variety of incense from a heavy smell, thick smoke variety to the popular non choking incense. We advise our customers to be sure your censer is in good working order. We offer scrapers for cleaning and tongs for the safe transport of lit charcoal. We carry several effective polishes to remove the smoky soot from years of use as well as new censers and boats for all budgets.

Ash Wednesday
Do you have enough ashes for the Ash Wednesday? Our ashes are genuine palm leaf ash. They are pre measured and packaged for 1000, 500, 200 or 100 people. Many parishes like to purchase the smaller packets for easy distribution.


Holy Week
The beauty of the Holy Week rituals calls for a wide variety of items. Many churches will decorate with Banners that depict the events of the week as well as special chasubles, stoles or candlesticks. Palm Sunday signals the approach of Holy Week observances. It is customary for parishes to distribute palm strips to the congregation. We have been distributing palm strips to churches for over 30 years. All palm is delivered clean and fresh cut as two strip leaves in bags of 100. We ship direct to you in the week before Palm Sunday. Our prices are very competitive with quantity discounts available. We also have palm altar décor. These palm fronds are perfect for any type of arrangement. Clean and easy to arrange, each bag of Fan palm, Date palm, and Sago palm Altar Décor includes 4 palm fronds 24” to 36” tall. The smaller Mediterranean Fan palm altar decor measures 16” to 18” and come s 8 to a bag. See our website for decoration ideas.

To facilitate the reading of the Passion of our Lord in three parts we have beautiful Ceremonial binders to hold the scripture in an attractive reverential way. The binders are color coordinated to match the liturgical color of the day and can be adapted to many uses throughout the year.

On Holy Thursday in many dioceses the pastor of a parish will attend the Chrism Mass. At that time the sacred oils that are used for the sacraments in the parishes are distributed. We have Chrismatory Sets, oil stocks, sacristy oil sets and appropriate carrying cases that are needed for the transport of the sacred oils. Later in the day during the parish liturgy as the priest washes the feet of 12 parishioners, symbolic of Jesus washing the feet of the apostles, a bowl and ewer are used. Since there is no Mass offered on Good Friday a large ciborium is used to hold Holy Communion for distribution on Good Friday. Many churches will build a shrine to the Blessed Sacrament with a repository or monstrance to hold the Holy Eucharist.
Good Friday prayer services vary from Meditations on Jesus’ Seven Last Words to Stations of the Cross. Many parishes will have the Veneration of Christ Crucified. We have available many beautiful large crucifixes for this moving gesture of the Good Friday Prayer Service.

One of the principal symbols in the Easter Vigil liturgy is Light. The light of the paschal candle, congregation candles and even extra altar candles that might only be lit on special occasions all impress on our consciousness that Jesus, the Light of the World has risen from the dead! We carry a wide selection of beeswax candles as well as sterine candles. We can ship as late as Holy Thursday to insure a delivery in time for Easter. The Paschal Candle is lit from the Easter “New Fire” We have foolproof fire starters that guarantee a quick bright flame with little or no smoke as well as a brazier to contain the flame in a reverential manner.