About Us
Leaflet Missal
Company, one of the largest Catholic book and gift stores in the
Midwest, is in its 80th year of business.
More
than a Bookstore
Located
at the corner of Minnehaha and Chatsworth in St. Paul, Minnesota; the
store carries the latest Catholic books, gifts and devotional items. A
recently added church goods room carries a full line of wine, Hosts,
altarware, vestments and candles.
The company also publishes many books and booklets for parish, school
and private use. Best sellers include A Treasury of Prayer and Outlines
of the Catholic Faith. Both titles have sold over a million copies.
Priestly
Origins
But the company
hasn’t always been in the religious articles business. In
fact, the name "Leaflet Missal" comes directly from its origins as a
publisher of Sunday missalettes. The year was 1929. The Mass was said
completely in Latin. Many people had trouble following and
understanding the Mass.
To help the ordinary Catholic follow the Mass more easily, Frs. Paul
Bussard and Edward Jennings published the first Leaflet Missal in St.
Paul. They were joined in the business by Fr. Louis Gales. The 3 later
started the Catholic Digest. Soon many parishes across the
country subscribed, and the circulation was nearly half a million.
Special editions were also published for weddings and
funerals, including the funeral Mass for President Kennedy.
The
Company Adapts
Changes prompted by
Vatican II brought increased competition, and the demand for a weekly
missal dwindled. The company adapted by starting to sell religious
articles by mail-order catalog.
The catalog business has grown from a single 4-page black and white
catalog to 7 full-color national catalogs a year. The
company’s website offers customers around the globe
24-hour-a-day convenience. Orders are frequently shipped to Japan,
Ireland, New Zealand, and other far away places.
A
Family Business
Today the company
has a large, beautiful store in St. Paul. Since 1980 it has been owned
and operated by the Peter and Diane Welvang Family. Three of their six
children are actively involved in the business, as well as a
brother-in-law and one grandchild.
The store offers a very wide selection, with over 10,000 items
including rosaries, statues, pictures, icons, jewelry, and crucifixes
as well as gifts for baptism, 1st Communion and Confirmation. Many
items are imported from Europe and South America.
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