A North Texas Catholic gift shop is seeing Pope Francis merchandise fly off the shelves
By Marissa Armas
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North Texas (KTVT) — F.C. Ziegler Co.- Catholic Art & gifts is seeing dozens of parishioners stop by their stores to buy any and everything pope related.
“So we’ve been seeing an uptick of pictures of Pope Francis sales, his pectoral cross. We have ‘In memoriam’ candles. Something else we sell is papal bunting, for the doors of churches,” said Ben Simansky, a sales representative with the company.
Simansky said parishioners and those alike are looking to learn more about the pontiff and his life, requesting books, his papal bulls, and his letters.
“We have an increase of just questions as well. People just asking us, like, how, can I get to know Pope Francis?,” Simansky said.
“Many times this is the time, after passing is whenever people are recognizing everything that he did. Francis wanted to appeal to all people, to the poor, to the people that to the outcasts, to the marginalized.”
For many it was the pontiff’s humble servitude that stood out.
“From the day he first came out on the piazza, you know, he gave his message and asked for our prayers,” said parishioner Kathleen Matsumura. “I don’t think any other pope had done that, you know. He’d been so humble as to realize he needed prayers.”
As many prepare to say goodbye to the pope, many await the next leader of the Catholic church.
“I just hope that we took seriously his lessons and apply them in our lives,” Matsumura said.
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