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Convent Care Package - Ideas?


loveletslive

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My friend is a postulant with the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. I wanted to send her a fun care package before I leave to study abroad. What kinds of practical/fun items should I include? Any little items you know sisters usually need or want?

Here's the ideas I have already:
-pictures from her home visit
-baked goods to share
-cards from her friends family
-devotional books/spiritual reading material
-chapstick
-fun pens
-knick knacks from the dollar store

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Probably not:
[quote name='loveletslive' timestamp='1294975779' post='2199930']
-devotional books/spiritual reading material
-knick knacks from the dollar store
[/quote]
Unless she specifically mentioned something she's interested in that the convent doesn't have in their library, it seems like they have enough reading material to keep them busy.
Which one is your friend? I love that community :nun1:

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MissScripture

[quote name='loveletslive' timestamp='1294975779' post='2199930']
My friend is a postulant with the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. I wanted to send her a fun care package before I leave to study abroad. What kinds of practical/fun items should I include? Any little items you know sisters usually need or want?

Here's the ideas I have already:
-pictures from her home visit
-baked goods to share
-cards from her friends family
-devotional books/spiritual reading material
-chapstick
-fun pens
-knick knacks from the dollar store
[/quote]
1) If you do the baked goods, keep it limited. If they're anything like the Nashville Dominicans, they're quite possibly bake-gooded out. I guess the amount of baked goods they get over the holidays is ridiculous!

2) limit it to just one book, because they are probably limited in what they can personally keep, and as someone else mentioned, they probably have lots of reading material (but that doesn't mean yours wouldn't be appreciated).

3) I would suggest prayer cards. It seems all Sisters love prayer cards! lol. If they don't keep them for themselves, they use them as gifts to pass on to others.

4) Stamps and stationary/cards

5) If they do crafts or make their own cards or anything like that, get scrapbooking type supplies as that is usually usuable for making cards.

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Emory boards - nuns always have perfect fingernails.

Dangerously Red nail polish - she won't be able to wear it on her perfect fingernails, but she can paint her toenails when she wants to feel wicked & worldly.

Fluffy bunny slippers in Franciscan brown - so she can cover up the Dangerously Red toenails even when her shoes are off.

But seriously, folks, perhaps a magazine subscription for "the house" - something religious that they don't already subscribe to?

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ahh, sorry i don't know why this posted three times. can a mod delete the other two threads? i'm not sure how/if i can do that.

oh and my friend is Alexa :) i was there last week for a come-and-see and there baked goods reserves were depleted so i thought maybe a bag of cookies or puppy chow would be fun. ahh holy cards is a good idea, i noticed they use those to mark all their books.

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MissScripture

[quote name='loveletslive' timestamp='1294982595' post='2199968']
ahh, sorry i don't know why this posted three times. can a mod delete the other two threads? i'm not sure how/if i can do that.

oh and my friend is Alexa :) i was there last week for a come-and-see and there baked goods reserves were depleted so i thought maybe a bag of cookies or puppy chow would be fun. ahh holy cards is a good idea, i noticed they use those to mark all their books.
[/quote]
My sister gave me a thank you note for the St. Nicholas day candy I sent in December and had 3 prayer cards stuck in there, and I know she's gotten some as gifts from other Sisters, which I'm guessing is where she got these ones. So, yeah, they LOVE having them around.

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[quote name='loveletslive' timestamp='1294982595' post='2199968']
ahh holy cards is a good idea, i noticed they use those to mark all their books.
[/quote]

They do?!!??!?!

I do that too!!!! :o :o :o I had no idea it was a nun thing! :paperbag:

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When I was discerning a religious order, the Sisters said they loved getting practical things like soap and shampoo. I think it would be really cute to put some travel bottles in, such as the kind you find in a hotel bathroom. Just make sure that whatever you get isn't loaded with perfume. There's nothing worse than a nun walking around reaking of perfume. :rolleyes:

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[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1294981103' post='2199956']

4) Stamps and stationary/cards
[/quote]

Double, triple, quadruple this. It's something that can [i]always[/i] be used.

And Sisters love holy cards, too! :)

I second the idea that spiritual reading is probably a no-no -- the Sisters have all they need in the library, and sometimes books sent by people are not what the Superior really wants the Sisters reading anyway (sometimes we got sent some newfangled "Catholic" books by well-meaning people; of course Spiritual Classics are always good, but the Sisters usually have plenty of copies of the more well-known Classics).

Be careful in regard to shampoos, soaps, etc. The Sisters would take whatever they were given, but they preferred the kind that isn't too "perfume-y"

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journals (i.e. nice books to write in). I've been surprised but both convents that I was in loved them. I went back to the 1st convent recently -- and I gave a few journals away (I didn't have $250 to buy each one). The sisters who got them were very appreciative, and the timing was good (they were ready for a new one).

Stationary, prayer cards, stamps, (and depending on the order) calling cards.

toiletries (again watch the perfume)

gift card to a nearby store like walmart/target. They can use that to get whatever they need

Money

I would not get dollar store knick nacks. Or even religious statues/books. Maybe rosaries (again depends on the order -- many orders each of the sisters carry one that is given to them, but other orders each has their own).

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[quote name='cmariadiaz' timestamp='1295023498' post='2200055']
Maybe rosaries (again depends on the order -- many orders each of the sisters carry one that is given to them, but other orders each has their own).
[/quote]

True; I always liked getting rosaries (it was a common gift) ... and now I have about 5 zillion!!! :blink: :lol:

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I don't know about other convents, but I love when I get "thank you" cards or candles. I guess in some convents you can't burn candles outside of Chapel, but I love a beautiful scented candle. I usually take them to school for when I'm working on the weekends. Another nice thing I like to get is hand lotion or sanitizer. I'm a teacher and it really comes in handy. Anything for the apostolate is greatly appreciated too!

Prayerfully,
Sister Marie

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