Religion: Holy Hucksters

Christmas is a golden time for the manufacturers of religious articles, and they pepper the pages of church periodicals with ads. This year Christians can give their favorite clergyman a ballpoint pen with a large cross for a clip—”An Exquisite Symbol of Faith” which “will put inspiration into every word you write” during “a lifetime of faithful service.” Those with “vocation-minded Catholic boys” on their Christmas lists may consider a ” ‘Play-Mass’ Set” made of “durable white plastic fabric, with brightly colored crosses,” and consisting of “chasuble, maniple, stole, glass chalice, chalice cover, three altar cards and ‘The Mass Book’—$5.98.”

Roman Catholics and high-church Protestants may give rosaries in all shapes and sizes—from an “ecclesiastically approved recording rosary permanently encased in plastic” and designed to clip onto the gearshift lever of one’s car, to a “pearl and silver finished rosary” with “a special clasp that converts it into a most attractive double-strand necklace.”

To make “any room a private chapel,” the devout may keep their rosaries in a Musical Madonna, which “glows softly with comforting concealed light,” and upon opening the rosary drawer, “plays Gounod’s Ave Maria.” Another item for the room: a plaque of Jesus’ head, “breathtaking in its vibrant lifelike color . . . created so that the eyes and face of Jesus follow you in any direction.”

“DIFFERENT—EXCITING—INSPIRING” is a rhodium-finish Crucifix Prayer Book, an inch and a half long and sparkling with handset imported rhinestones. “Contains Hidden Holy Prayer! Look thru center stone . . . see tiny child praying . . . read beautiful Lord’s Prayer!” This $9.95 value is now only $2.98, and, in addition, purchasers may “wear amazing Crucifix Prayer Book for 10 Days at Our Risk.”