Catholic Printing Press offers a look into the past

The U.P. Catholic

Based in Vulcan, Catholic Printing Press recovers, restores, and reproduces vintage holy cards. Lisa Pellegrini started the company in 2016. At the beginning, she was primarily making detentes, which are thick cotton fabric lace holy cards. The lace edging on the detentes are completely handmade, which allows them to serve as more durable prayer aids. Since 2016, she has expanded to making numerous other products.

Over time, Pellegrini has accumulated over 1000 vintage holy cards and often spends time organizing and cataloguing them.
Holy cards in the present day are often printed on regular paper and some are also laminated, but in the past, holy cards were much more intricate. Vintage holy cards often had images that were taken from paintings or etchings done by artists. They were framed in lace borders that were produced by lace cutting presses that are very rarely found in modern times.

In between homeschooling her younger children, Pellegrini works the printing press business and while she is the primary one making items in-house, she shared that sometimes the older of the family’s seven children also help her.

The Pellegrinis are a longtime farming family; The Pellegrini Farm, which is also a century farm, first originated in Italy. A century farm is a farm that has been continuously owned by the same family for 100 years or more. It began its American legacy with the family’s great-grandfather Cipriano in 1890. In 1965, the family business was expanded to a popular “pick your own strawberry” farm with other offerings such as cabbage, pumpkins, corn, rye, oats, barley, sorghum, and sugar beets available. The strawberry picking season typically opens around July 4 every year and lasts for about three weeks.

Catholic Printing Press offers paper lace holy cards, ordination cards, funeral cards, and cards for other sacraments such as first Communion or confirmation. Other items such as stationery, framed art, kitchen décor, and rosaries are also available. One notable item highlighted on Catholic Printing Press’ website is a contemplative art magazine titled Immagini Sacre, or “holy images” in Italian.

Immagini Sacre contains images of the holy cards alongside floral designs and prayers and reflections that are sometimes taken and translated from the original text of the holy cards. Some of the text needed to be translated due to the original holy card not being written in English.

It was created by Pellegrini to showcase the rare, vintage holy cards from as far back as the 18th and 19th centuries that she has collected over time. “We aim to preserve and document this important time of the church so it will not be forgotten,” states Catholic Printing Press’ website. There are currently four issues of the magazine available for purchase, with a fifth to be released soon.

Pellegrini said that since starting Catholic Printing Press, she has met “the neatest people from around the world,” as she has customers from various countries, and that this has made her stronger in her faith.

She added, “As farmers we care very much about providing good food for the community. With our printing press, we care deeply about providing good nourishment for the soul.”

For more information about Catholic Printing Press or to place an order, visit www.catholicprintingpress.com. For more information about Pellegrini Farms, visit www.pellegrinifarm.com.