| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | the store, said Tom, whose donut shop remained |
| Catholic Books and Gifts had its grand reopening on | | | | the family’s primary source of income. We |
| March 19 and 20 at its new location in Fountain Valley. | | | | did a lot of praying then. |
| The former Huntington Beach mainstay for over 16 | | | | Tom and Joanne cite the turning point at the |
| years has provided Orange, Los Angeles and | | | | distribution of The Catechism of the Catholic Church, |
| Riverside counties with religious products as bibles, | | | | which ignited a worldwide resurgence of interest in |
| rosaries and crucifixes. With their expansion onto the | | | | Catholicism. A new generation of apologetic authors |
| internet with catholicfreeshipping.com, the | | | | was being published alongside reissues of older titles. |
| family-owned business began serving customers | | | | More people came to the store, and with the addition |
| worldwide, gradually making them one of the | | | | of their website, they began to attract customers |
| nation’s leading retailers in Catholic | | | | outside their local community. In time, Tom was able |
| merchandise. This prompted Tom and Joanne Peters, | | | | to part with the donut shop and rely entirely on |
| who have owned and operated the 950 square foot | | | | Catholic Books and Gifts. |
| original storefront since 1994, to acquire the 2,000 | | | | The 2005 death of Pope John Paul II also brought |
| square foot vacancy less than two miles from where | | | | more people looking for texts on or by the late |
| they started. | | | | pontiff. Of recent, Joanne reported record sales in |
| People pray more when times are hard, said | | | | rosaries: People who have lost their jobs or their |
| Joanne, attributing the recent boom in business to | | | | homes are going to the rosary for spiritual |
| the economic recession, though stresses their | | | | guidance. |
| success did not happen overnight. | | | | The larger space will give the Peters’ an |
| Before the store, Tom supported their 12 children | | | | opportunity to expand their inventory. New and |
| with a donut shop; Joanne ran a daycare. When a | | | | returning customers can look forward to more |
| proposal came to take over the preexisting | | | | Baptism and First Communion gifts, additional titles in |
| bookstore, the Peters’ took the risk. As a | | | | bibles, apologetics and books in Spanish, and an |
| practical Catholic family, they saw this as a chance to | | | | added variety in their collection of religious icons, |
| serve their communityand to indulge in their | | | | Catholic music and DVDs. |
| pastime: While raising our children, I was always | | | | Their two-day grand reopening weekend was well |
| looking for time to read, Joanne recalls. | | | | attended by family, friends and their own community |
| Owning a bookstore would make my dream | | | | of loyal customers. All expressed awe at the |
| come true. | | | | spaciousness of the new location in comparison to |
| But a limited start-up inventory and a lack of local | | | | the cramped old store, excitement for the future |
| interest made their first few years challenging. | | | | growth of this venture, and their continued prayers |
| There were days when no one would come into | | | | and support of the Peters family. |