Cashing in on Christ

In a shop window on Boston's Chauncy Street, a crown of thorns and nails lies beside a sign guaranteeing that "a small deposit will hold any item."

It's not Judgment Day or NEA installation art--it's Sheehan's, probably the only shop in Boston which advertises itself as "Your Bible Store!"

Sheehan's, officially Matthew F. Sheehan Co., has specialized in religious goods and liturgical paraphernalia most of the last century.

Founded in 1907 by Matthew F. Sheehan, an Irish Catholic immigrant, the store has remained in family hands in its original location ever since.

Sheehan's darkened plate-glass windows are unassuming, overshadowed by the ready-to-wear glamour of Filene's and Jordan Marsh. Unlike the well-heeled habitues of Downtown Crossing, the store's customers are a diverse assortment of Boston's most pious population.

The store's owners say that there's something here for everyone. Whether you need framed blessing for dentists, a Jesus key ring or a St. Peter night-light, Sheehan's will help you keep your faith with you at all times--literally.

Keeping the Faith...With Kitsch

The largest religious store on the East Coast, Sheehan's does a brisk trade in rosaries, chalices and candles. In fact, the store carries everything from 16th century biblical tracts to life size statues of the Virgin Mary.

"The medals are very popular," explains the red-haired cashier, who asked not to be identified. "People buy them and have them blessed by a priest. There's real special meaning to them. The most popular is the miraculous medal and St. Christopher (the patron saint of travelers)."

The store's inventory is thorough, to say the least.

"We have every saint that's made," the cashier says proudly. "We've got police officer's medals with St. Michael and medals for firemen with St. Florian. We've even got medals for the mentally ill, with St. Dymphna on them."

The upper store is filled with religious articles and knick-knacks, a jumble of the kitschy and the sacred.

Wrinkled women in kerchiefs and Reeboks sort through communion cards and candlesticks. Choir and clergy robes of every color, reminiscent of Harvard's multihued commencement gowns, sway as soft rock filters past the statues of the Madonna.

Hundreds of rosaries line the showcases--Austrian crystal with rhodium finish, cubic zirconia or sterling silver and semi-precious stones. Depending on the size of your wallet or the extent of your piety, you can choose a rosary for less than a dollar or more than $200.

The case in front of the cash register features delicately wrought cameos of the Crucifixion and rhinestone pins emblazoned "JESUS," which look like perfect accessories for an Elvis impersonator. Customers can even purchase an illuminated Infant of Prague for the lawn or family room.

The Good Books

Descending the stairs, however, customers are faced with a very different setting. Orderly rows of books and choral music are arrayed for browsers, and the liturgical inventory (altar cloths, clerical collars and the like) is organized neatly behind the counter.

But Assistant Manager David J. O'Malley says the bookstore is just as comprehensive as the upper store.

"We sell religious and spiritual books of all authors, ages and subjects. The only place you could find a more complete collection is [at] a divinity school, and they aren't nearly as big," he explains.

The rare book selection is impressive. "One of my favorites is this," he says, gesturing to an elaborately gilded Roman Brevari dating from 1643.

But the heart of the store remains church goods, and they deal in everything from palms to pews.

Here, the divine and the commercial merge. Where else in Boston can you buy Jesus and the Virgin Mary at forty percent off?

Although the holy water containers look suspiciously like travel shampoo bottles, and the "Collect `em, Trade `em, Save `em Saints Cards" might be better if they included bubble gum, the management says it doesn't see any compromising contradictions.

"We're a store and a source of spirituality," the sales clerk says simply.

Clerks or Clerics?

But the salespeople take the difference between the earthly and the spiritual very seriously.

"The questions people ask...well, it's very humbling to work here," said the assistant manager. "They come to you and say `I want to pray to God. How do I do it?'"

To prepare clerks for such questions, a strong background in religion is encouraged.

"Our salespeople are very knowledgeable about religion, though personal religiosity isn't a necessary requirement. Though it helps in any job really," O'Malley said.

The salespeople are helpful, for the most part friendly and eager to explain their wares. "God bless you" is heard often, either as an exclamation or as a farewell.

Clerks and managers say they are also accustomed to an ebb and flow of business.

"Our busiest time is Christmas. Definitely. We get lots for First Communion too. Our business mostly coincides with major religious feasts," O'Malley says.

Not Just Catholics Anymore

Sheehan's Irish past is obvious; from a large selection of old Irish texts to traditional heartshped claddaug rings in the showcases, the store is steeped in Gaelic tradition. But the store's owners broadened their base in the 1960s and now sell to all Christian denominations, not just Catholics.

"The nature of the customers has changed, as has the nature of the trade. We're more ecumenical now," O'Malley says.

"We've enlarged our inventory to accommodate a changing city population," he continues. "There's more Spanish, more Haitians and a bigger evangelical Protestant community."

The titles in the store's book section illustrate that change. Hildegard von Bingen rubs shoulders with feminist interpretations of the Scriptures, and "Preaching for Black Self-Esteem" stands next to Catholic catechisms in a half a dozen languages.

"All kinds frequent the store," says the bearded O'Malley, whose job centers around the book section.

"We get all ages. One interesting trait is people in their seventies and eighties who knew the original store owner, Matthew. They come in and remark on the changes. They knew a smaller store in a simpler time. It's a lot more diverse now--everything is--and they note the change. A lot of them seem put off by it," he says.

But the younger generation is also intrigued by the store's merchandise.

"We get a lot of students. They buy a fair amount, not a lot. Mostly they browse," O'Malley says. "They're curious about the nature of the books. They want to know what these books have to offer."

For salespeople, the store's best-sellers provide an unofficial barometer of Boston's socioreligious status.

"It's interesting to see. The best-seller has been the Catholic catechism. It's the first catechism. It's the first catechism published since the sixteenth century for the universal church," the assistant manager said.

"By contrast, the next best seller came out in 1993. It's The Thunder of Justice. It's part of the apocalyptic end time literature." The book explores the idea that the end of the world is fast approaching and that humanity should behave accordingly, he says. "It's pretty controversial."

For the most part though, Sheehan's customers aren't members of radical sects.

"Most customers are doctrinally middle of the road. There's not so much politicizing...there's a lot of interest in social change though," O'Malley said.

No End In Sight

Although some of the store's authors may prophesy that doomsday is nigh, its management says the store will be around for a while yet.

"We're hoping to be open for another 88 years," O'Malley says."