The following guest post is by Clare Short, a 37 year-old Catholic wife and stay at home mother of 3 in the United Kingdom. She is a secular Carmelite who makes and sells beautiful vestments at her online company, Di Clara. Through her creations, Clare has found a small yet significant way of contributing to the restoration of the sacred. 

With Di Clara my main aim is to help restore beauty to the liturgy, while  also enabling me to provide for my family at the same time. It is a source of  joy and a labour of love. It is such an honour to know that the sacred garments I am making will be used during Holy Mass. I love getting to know and working with our priests and seminarians, as well as their families and sponsors/benefactors.

Di Clara’s latest project is something very exciting. We have launched Crowdfunding through Di Clara to help seminarians, priests and parishes fundraise for their chosen vestments. So many people are looking to bring beauty back to the liturgy through beautiful vestments, altar frontals etc. but are unable to commit to such a large one off payment. We have decided to offer a solution to this problem by opening up the cost to those who are financially blessed and wish to support them.

If you are interested in starting your own Di Clara Crowdfunding campaign just contact us (here) and I will set up your very own page that you can share on social media.

The first project to be launched using Di Clara Crowdfunding will be a very special 5 piece set of Roman vestments to be made for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in celebration of his 90th Birthday in April 2017. It will be a Roman 5 piece set including Chasuble, Stole, Maniple, Chalice Veil and Burse.

We have taken the design from the statue of Our Lady of Altötting – a personal favourite of Pope Benedict. His Papal coat of arms will sit at the base of the Chasuble. The design will be hand embellished with semi-precious stones including fresh water pearls and garnet. We will also be adding some raised gold work where appropriate. This really is going to be a one of a kind project.

And YOU can be part of this!

Depending on the amount you wish to donate, your name and thank you message to the Holy Father will be embroidered into the lining of the chasuble, forever being encapsulated into his 90th Birthday celebration.

Please come and be part of this historic celebration and help us thank this great man for all he has done for God’s Holy Catholic Church!

You can visit our page if you wish to contribute to this beautiful campaign.