LOOKING for a gift with meaning for the children this Christmas?
Why not give them a cuddly Pope John Paul II or a lovable Mother Teresa of Calcutta?
Anne Cramer, a Catholic mum of five from the Redcliffe Peninsula, north of Brisbane, is selling cuddly dolls of Catholic saints and other holy figures that are suitable for children of all ages.
She discovered the dolls while on a visit to Lismore.
“I had been looking for Catholic dolls in particular for my children and felt a saint was a great friend for them to connect with in their own special way,” she said.
An Internet search revealed most Catholic toys could only be bought from the US, requiring shipment to Australia, which took several weeks.
However, while visiting Lismore in October she discovered the same dolls she saw on the Internet in a friend’s home.
“When I asked where they had got them from they said the Carmelite Sisters down the road.”
Anne rang the Lismore Carmelite convent and ordered a set of six dolls, featuring St Therese of the Little Flower, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the Child Jesus, Pope John Paul II, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Mother Mary.
The 25cm tall, cuddly toys, originally the creation of two Catholic mums in the US, sell for $20 each or $100 for a set of six.
For more information or to order the dolls e-mail amandpm@bigpond.com or phone (07) 3883 2126.