Welcome to the
Saint Isidore Catholic Sales Guild
The Saint Isidore Catholic Sales Guild is a group of professional Catholic online retailers dedicated to ensuring the highest ethical standards in the sale of vintage and antiquarian Roman Catholic sacred objects.
What Is A Guild?
A guild is an association of persons engaged in the same professional, mercantile or craft pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. Since medieval times, guilds served as small business associations, with each member a self-employed individual merchant or artisan, or working as part of a small craft shop or co-operative. The members of The Saint Isidore Catholic Sales Guild are, for the most part, self-employed small business-owners and artisans, although some members are larger enterprises.
Why Saint Isidore?
St. Isidore of Seville, not to be confused with St. Isidore the farmer, is the proposed Patron Saint of the Internet. A theologian and scholar, he is best known for massive, 20-volume Etymologiae, a compendium of the world’s knowledge used as a reference for over 1,000 years. In Catholic tradition, a Saint’s work does not stop with the death of his or her bodily presence on earth. It continues in heaven, with intercessions on behalf of those who petition for assistance. We invite you to learn more about our fascinating Patron.
The Need for a Catholic Sales Guild
The landscape of Catholic devotional item sales is rapidly changing. What was once a modest niche market is now on the verge of moving into the mainstream fueled by greater internet access, the ability to reach a worldwide market with a few keystrokes, and a widespread liquidation of Catholic antiquities and collectibles.
The sale of Catholic goods, particularly older items, carries a distinct burden. As a starting point, Catholics sellers are obligated to conduct our businesses with the utmost integrity. More pressing in importance is the obligation to ensure that we do not engage in the sale of items specifically forbidden by Canon Law.
Recent attempts to sell the Eucharist on eBay created an enormous outcry from Catholics throughout the world. Putting their faith into action, many to cancelled their memberships and engaged in a boycott of the marketplace. Fortunately, the pressures of bad press, in tandem with the threat of lost revenue has brought the corporation to its senses and the sale of the Eucharist is now banned.
Unfortunately, this appalling incident left the stench of suspicion on all Catholic sellers. The Saint Isidore Catholic Sales Guild was created to bring Catholic sellers of good conscience together to build a consensus pertaining to a standard of conduct and moral responsibility. Our members voluntarily identify themselves by displaying the logo on their listings and sites.
How You Can Help
If you are a Catholic seller, consider membership. Together, we can raise the standard of conduct to ensure the material culture of Catholicism is ethically propagated.
If you are someone who shops online, please patronize our members. Your support of their businesses strengthens the integrity of the Catholic online sales community. We invite you to learn more about the importance of ethics in Catholic artifact sales by looking through this site.
Please note – New membership page is coming to include buyers who support the Guild.
If you are a member of the press or Catholic website or list owner, please spread the word about our initiative.
If you are a member of the clergy, we welcome your feedback. Many of our members will offer discounts in gratitude for the sacrifice you’ve made for the good of Christ’s Church on earth.
If you encounter an online offering that violates the teachings of the Catholic Church, tell us. Guild members encourage you to learn how to report violations.
If you like what you’ve seen here, or have suggestions, please let us know.
