Gifts for a New Priest
A priest spends years preparing for one morning. These are the pictures that fit it: vocations and callings, the keys given to Peter, the Last Supper where the priesthood began, and one nineteenth-century painting of exactly the day you are celebrating.
Most priestly ordinations take place in late May and June. Each print is made to order: allow about two and a half weeks for delivery.
Parents of the Celebrant After His First Mass
José Alcázar Tejedor
Painted in 1892: a new priest’s mother and father on the day of his first Mass. There is no more fitting picture for the occasion.
From $44.13
The Calling of Saint Matthew
Caravaggio
The most famous painting of a vocation: a shaft of light, a pointing hand, and a tax collector realising he is the one being called.
From $33.26
Christ Giving the Keys to Saint Peter
Giovanni Battista Pittoni
Christ entrusts the keys to Peter — the authority every priest shares in.
From $44.13
The Last Supper
Philippe de Champaigne
The Church teaches that Christ instituted the priesthood at the Last Supper; this is the calmest and clearest version of it.
From $56.29
The Mass of Saint Gregory the Great
Adriaen Isenbrant
Christ appears above the altar while Pope Gregory says Mass — a painting about what happens at every consecration.
From $31.52
Christ Washing St. Peter's Feet
Giovanni Agostino da Lodi
Christ kneeling to wash Peter’s feet: the picture of priesthood as service.
From $31.52
Saint Jerome in His Study
Antonello da Messina
The scholar-priest at his desk in a vast Gothic study — for a new priest who loves his books.
From $31.52
Saint Augustine
Philippe de Champaigne
The great bishop-theologian at his writing, his heart aflame — for a priest who preaches.
From $31.52
Saint Padre Pio
Catholic Art Studio
Padre Pio, the Capuchin who spent whole days in the confessional — a patron for a new confessor.
From $33.26
Saint John Paul II
Catholic Art Studio
The pope who wrote a letter to the priests of the world nearly every Holy Thursday of his pontificate.
From $33.26
The Sacred Heart
Pompeo Batoni
The Sacred Heart, to whom many priests consecrate their ministry, in the version painted for the Jesuits’ mother church in Rome.
From $31.52
Choosing a gift for a priest
New priests are given a great many chalices, stoles and books, and very little for the walls of the rectory they are about to move into. A sacred painting fills that gap, and it tends to follow a priest from parish to parish for the rest of his life.
The most personal gift is a picture of his patron: the saint whose name he carries, the founder of his order, or the saint on whose feast he was ordained. Failing that, the subjects of vocation — the calling of Matthew, the keys given to Peter — say what the day means without a word of explanation.
Questions
What is a good gift for a newly ordained priest?
Something for his first rectory that will move with him: a sacred painting, a crucifix, or a good edition of the Liturgy of the Hours. A picture of his patron saint is the most personal choice.
Is it appropriate to give money to a new priest?
Many families do, and a card with a gift is common. A lasting object is often more memorable, and the two are not exclusive.
Who is the patron saint of priests?
Saint John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, is the patron of parish priests. Many priests also have a personal patron — the saint of their name or their order.
Can you ship to the rectory?
Yes. Enter the parish address at checkout; prints arrive in plain packaging.