Catholicism Never Looked So Good—Top 5
- Sophia Bauer
- Apr 4, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 28
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I'm not sure if you've seen my posts on social media lately, but I have been working with a company called Catholic Merch who focus on creating unique, never seen before product designs that leave you holy not only on the inside, but also the outside! Yes, we have a TON of fun with the merch, and as nerdy Catholics who love evangelizing through art and media, it's been truly a joy working with them over the years.
Without further ado, I bring you my top 5 favorite merch designs that are as EPIC and HOLY as you (I think this needs to be done in color 😊)…
1. The Eucharist
Order your copy of "The Eucharist: The Ultimate Love Story Unveiled" at Catholic Merch
I had the honor of not only designing the cover, but also designing the book's overall layout and chapter illustrations that begin each chapter! Nicholas is a talented musician and speaker, with a heart for Christ. He truly lets this become evident in his writing, and provides a beautiful, biblically-based explanation for the teachings on the Eucharist.
He made it so easy to bring this project to life and the best part is, he isn't done yet! This is only the beginning of his many books to come….
2. Ephphatha
He said to him,“Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” (Mark 7:34)
When I finally build up the courage to get a tattoo, this is the word that I always wanted to get, so that I can see it when my heart needs the gentle reminder. This design was obviously sparked by the verse above when Christ healed the blind and mute man, but it didn't stop there. I wanted to incorporate a couple other of Jesus's healing miracles, including the woman caught in adultery (John 8:10–11) and the healing of the paralytic (Matthew 9:4–7).
A small, seemingly small detail is that the illustrated characters and "Ehphphatha" are written in sand, but appear to be as pure as gold. Jesus took seemingly insignificant materials to work his miracles—writing in the sand or spitting in mud—and those he healed walked away as if he had refined their souls into gold.
You can get this design right now on hoodies and sweaters, tees, mugs, and as a sticker bundle in our shop!
3. Walking with the Saints
What better way to STEP INTO the lives of the saints than by visually seeing what made their path to holiness special! I created patterns for Teresa of Calcutta (far left), John the Baptist (far right), Augustine of Hippo, Lucy, Therese de Lisieux, Peter and Paul, and so many others.
Growing up I had a friend who painted each of my friends a pair of shoes, based on our favorite show/movie. It reflected our personalities in a fun and simple way, and let us show off our nerdiness in a subtle but unique way. Although the idea of patterned shoes aren't unique, each shoe includes a unique, hand-drawn pattern of what made that saint a saint.
4. Uber Catholic
This was one of our original designs when we launched the shop that gave away my illustration skills, surprising both myself and Catholic Merch! We both became obsessed with figuring out how we could incorporate my illustrations into as much as possible, without going over the top.
The illustrations were a mixture of fun and eye-catching, and easily designed to become a pattern to be used on as much as we could possibly use it. It was so ridiculously over the top for all-things Catholic, that there wasn't any other better name for the collection than "Uber Catholic".
5. Our Lady Collection
The final favorite is the "Our Lady" collection. The first four of hopefully many more to come, I chose four great images of the Blessed Virgin and—you guessed it—illustrated them in my own style! The images were then placed not on the front, but on the back of the shirt as a small hint to saying "Momma Mary has your back!" Subtle? Yes. But that's how I love to do these things! Also included in the shop are framed and frameless prints of each Marian depiction, so you can also have Mother Mary displayed in your home!
I loved aspects of each of the four that I chose to start with, and it can also be said that I chose to begin with four of the most recognizable Mary's. I went all in illustrating Fatima's crown. The cape for the Queen of Heaven was regal. Threw it all in on the Veil of stars for Guadalupe. Subtle but necessary yellow roses on the feet of Lourdes. All of these details deserve a chef's kiss.
I can't wait to do more like Our Lady of Knock, Sorrows, Nazareth, Miraculous Medal, and countless others!
There you have it, those are SO FAR my top five favorite Catholic Merch collaborations. Do you have a favorite you found in our humble shop that is worth mentioning? Share it in the comments, or BETTER YET purchase it to support Awaken Catholic, the Catholic Media nonprofit that Catholic Merch proceeds go to.
Thanks for reading and happy shopping!
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