Day 2: Vatican Gift Rosaries

And day 2 of 12 Days of Christmas gifts is upon us and today I bring you a 12 Days of Christmas Gifts classic: rosaries.  

These rosaries are from Vatican Gift.  Now, in my opinion rosaries are among the most saturated parts of the market for Christian items, so today The Catholic Man and I are going to highlight a couple things about these rosaries from Vatican Gift that may make you more interested in them than those of other sellers.  

Before I get to the main attraction which are the rosaries, I would like to talk about a Crucifix that we received.  It’s a little over two inches in height and comes strung on a brown cord.  The cord is nothing special, but the Crucifix itself is quite nice.  It is made of metal so it has a bit of weight to it, and the parts that are filled to be red are very evenly done; there isn’t any texture or bubbling to it.  The figure of Jesus is also very detailed.  I am impressed by the amount of musculature and the facial features that are unincorporated on such a small figure – He even has all his fingers and toes! Some statues these days don’t even have defined digits.  The packaging is also quite sturdy.  I must say though, that the centerpiece at the back wasn’t glued down perfectly, so you can see a bit of the glue that seeped out from under it and it kind of looks like a bit of dirt accumulated.  It isn’t very noticeable, but I wanted to mention it anyway.  

On to the rosaries – 

Most of the rosaries are packaged in a little pouch that can be cinched shut, but I feel like the material it’s made out of easily creases and it doesn’t really stay shut anyway so I just leave it open.  The first one I want to talk about is my least favourite.  It is from their wooden line of rosaries.  There’s nothing wrong with it; it just isn’t for me.  The beads are a dark wood, but I think the dark colour, in combination with how well polished they are that made me think they are plastic.  I’m not saying it looks cheap; it just had me a little confused at first.  I prefer being able to see the wood grain which other rosaries in the line fulfill.  I think you just need to keep in mind what the person you are purchasing it for prefers (and that person can totally be you!).  The chain links feel high quality and the San Damiano Crucifix, and Pope Francis centrepiece… once again, is nicely detailed.  You can get this Franciscan-themed rosary here or as part of this gift set here.

The second rosary we received, I much prefer.  It is from the semi precious line, and this one specifically is the Pale Rose Quartz rosary.  As the name implies, the beads are made of rose quartz. I really like the cooling feeling it has when you hold it.  The wooden rosary was very light-weight, and that may appeal to some, but I prefer them to have a bit more weight to them There are a nice variety of stones to choose from if you don’t like rose quartz.  Like the first rosary, the links and Crucifix seem to be of high quality and none of the beads are cracked.  The semi precious rosaries are more expensive than your average rosary, but I think it is a nice middle-of-the-road between the usual rosary and the Vatican Gift precious rosaries, which go into the hundreds of dollars.  

The Catholic Man will introduce you to the final rosary we received, but before I hand it over to him one comment I feel obligated to make: it is HEAVILY scented.  If you are like me and have the nose of a hounddog, you may want to stay away.  I can’t open the box for longer than a couple seconds before I can’t stand it.  Ok, that’s enough from me for now.  

From The Catholic Man

Now, I finally make my appearance in this series! Thanks Ivy for doing a great job so far with the reviews so far.

If you have been to Rome before, you will know that rosaries are very common souvenirs to bring back for family and friends… but not just any rosary – those red, heavily scented rose rosaries. This one as the website states is made of crushed rose petals. Yet, with this pandemic and its travel restrictions in place, going to Rome is not possible for many so this Christmas, bring Rome to your loved ones with this rosary here! I know these rose petal rosaries are easily counterfeited and while in Rome, I avoided purchasing these types of rosaries from street vendors. They may have lower prices, but the quality is simply isn’t the same. What you get here from Vatican Gift is the real deal, with real rose petals. Note though, as this rosary is made from rose petals, it is not suitable for everyday wear. After use, it should be kept in the plastic container.

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Now here’s the best part about Vatican Gifts – you can get your gifts blessed by the Pope! Make sure you mention it at checkout. Their website says,

We personally bring your gifts to receive the Holy father’s Blessing.

In some occasions, like the General Audience and the Angelus Domini, in Vatican the Holy Father impresses His Apostolic Blessing over all the presents.

This blessing is explicitly extended to the devotional items each one brings with them.

Vatican Gift Frequently Asked Questions

Vatican Gift also includes a small replica Papal parchment, and within a little card, indicates on what day your articles have been blessed… a nice little touch and fine reminder to pray for the Pope.

Overall, both Ivy and I are very pleased with the quality of the products of Vatican Gift, particularly, their very wide range of rosaries. We suggest you visit there website here to take a look at the wide selection of products that they have in store, coming directly from the heart of Roman Catholicism.

Disclaimer: The items for review on this site have been provided by Vatican Gift, in exchange for an honest review and feature on the 12-Days of Christmas Gifts series. I am thrilled that Vatican Gift accepted my invitation to join in this series and I express my gratitude and best wishes to the Vatican Gift.