There aren't a lot of men in the world of Catholic makers right now, so I thought it would be good to share my perspectives with the community. This post will start a new series which I plan to release on first Saturdays. (I have lots to talk about! But fortunately for you, I have to keep it brief.)

So, what does it mean to be a "maker" exactly? For me, the most important part is participating in the creative work of God: helping to build His Kingdom on earth, and using our talents to make the world a better, more truthful, and more beautiful place.

We're surrounded by so much junk these days - cheap, poorly made, and we don't even know where most of it comes from. That's what prompted me to start Our Lady's Armory in the first place - to equip other Catholic men (and women!) with strong, beautiful, handcrafted rosaries, instead of plastic imports made in a sweatshop or by a machine.

Sometimes, well-made products still break. But when you know how to make them, you know how to fix them, too. That's why I jumped at the chance to repair one of the first rosaries I ever made, almost five years ago, for a woman in Texas.

The rosary has been blessed by a holy priest and touched to relics of saints. It's been with its owner for countless hours of prayer in the adoration chapel. One day, it fell out of her purse and was lost, but was returned some time later. Some beads were chipped, one was missing - but the integrity of the rosary, the blessings it carries, and the weight of all those prayers are things that can't be thrown away and replaced. So I rebuilt the entire rosary, replacing the damaged pieces and setting them aside so they could be properly buried.

This is what being a maker means to me. Contributing items of deep significance to people's prayer lives, crafting objects of devotion to mark special occasions like baptisms and weddings, and giving people physical reminders of our Faith which they can carry with them on their journey toward holiness. Your purchase helps me work toward that mission, and your witness gives me hope for the future of our Church. So thank you, all of you, for giving me a reason to be a maker!