You might want to contact a/the church, talk to the Pastor/Priest and see if they would accept them as a donation for a church sale. Many churches have rummage sales to raise money. Or the church could use them to give to people who would like them but have limited incomes.

That's what I would do also. Or ask friends & family if they would like to have them.

Give them to people who knew your parents.

My MIL had hundreds of them, every organization that sent her one got a small donation so she got them constantly. We still get them today, when we have several we send them to Randall's.

Here is a link that might be useful: Randall Rosaries

I have the same problem with Bibles. We have quite a few of them and how many do two people really need? But what do you do with them, especially if someone wrote in the info pages???? If I inherit my parents' supply, I will have enough for a small church. Crazy collection for the family to have considering we did not grow up in church! LOL

If anyone you know, or you yourself are having a garage sale, just put them out on the tables with a free sign on them.
As an apartment manager I often acquired religious stuff and gave it on to someone else in this manner.
I have my own bibles and crosses, I agree that there is really only so many one household can use.
Whenever I took these items to a flea market, I rarely returned with any.
Might be worth a try.
Suzan J

Thanks for all your suggestions!

marie-ndcal...I could call our local parish, but I just won't go there in person, I'm afraid I might burst into flames upon entering the church.... it's been awhile.
j/k sort of ;)

kayjones & jo ann_fla, most of my parents friends have passed on and lived in another state & my son & DIL belong to their own church.
lynn_d...thanks for that link. That would be a great place to send the rosaries to.
janie_ga I know what you mean about enough Bibles to fill a small church too--LOL

sjarz, my son & DIL are having their annual subdivision garage sale next month, so putting things out on a "Free" table micht be a great idea.

I just want these things to be treated with the respect they deserve. Thanks again for all the advice!
~~ kat

I worked as a volunteer with an organization that gave food to families in need. A lot of the time they would ask if we had Bibles to give them.

You've received some worthwhile suggestions and I have little additional to offer.

If your husband would feel uncomfortable about taking them to your own parish, what about consulting priest(s) or other leaders at some other parishes nearby?

As for notes, names of family, etc. that may have been recorded in some of the Bibles, it seems to me that you might choose to remove such pages.

As for anyone ... or anything ... bursting into flames were you to enter a church door ... I doubt whether you need entertain worries/concerns on such an issue ...

... as most congregations are happy to welcome the return of participants who've lapsed. You may want to offer your name, in case the person whom you meet might be rather embarrassed to have forgotten it?

ole joyful

P.S. An ad below where I was writing offered, "Tools to Grow Your Church"!

Perhaps a congregation who was the recipient of your bounty could use it in such a fashion.

o j

i'm in sort of the same place..have a couple of bibles that are worn to pieces...the bindings are gone and maybe pages...no historical (ie birth, marriage, death pages...)

My sisters & I are in the same place... but Presbyterian so no rosaries--the minister indicated that there were lots of places that would be happy to have Bibles, study guides, etc. My mom must have had 6 or 7 Bibles, not including 2 of those honking huge ones that are about 1 foot square, and I mean wide & deep!! nothing remotely historical for our family but must have belonged to us somehow... Prison ministries, half-way houses... etc. One the lighter note, in the top of the same closet, one enamel urinal & bedpan... sheesh what was she thinking.... she moved from the old house & got rid of tons of stuff out of the basement from her parents, her inlaws & required us kids to come get anything we wanted to have... but kept a urinal & bedpan? Go figure? lol!!

My Grandmother had a picture of The Sacred Heart of Jesus (devout Catholic) which I received after she died thirty years ago. She kept it in her kitchen. I showed it to my husband who said "You are not putting that thing up in this house." He has -uhh- issues with the church. So I put it back in the drawer.

Donate them to the church they attended. Call the priest and tell him who your parents were and if you could donate these items and maybe some of the other parishioners (sp) could use them. Some people in the church that knew your mom and dad may cherish something of theirs.

If a Bible gets too old and battered to be useful, it's appropriate to burn it ... at least, many who respect its teachings agree, though some may not.

It's the teaching that's valuable, not the vessel.

For example, some folks in the west call the respect that many in the East show for ancestors, "ancestor worship", but a number of us feel that "respect" would be a more accurate term.

For that matter, some of the systems that we in the west follow regarding treatment of those who are deceased seems a bit strange - putting bodies into a fancy box that's to go underground, permanently, and usually in a rough wooden outer box, at least, but in a number of cases made of concrete ... or steel, and even with a rubber gasket to keep the water out: to what purpose?

Or we may burn the fancy box, with its contents ... but many followers of a different religious system are horrified at such a prospect.

(Google's suggestion at the bottom of the page today is, "Catholic Priest Vocation", then to question, "Ever considered the priesthood? Info on the Companions of the Cross").

They wouldn't want me ... I'd be asking just why religious professionals shouldn't have the option of marriage ... and, with a world so full of people, at over 6 billion (and it was only 1 billion a few hundred years ago), shouldn't family planning be allowed? If we get too many more people, do you figure that the earth might fall out of orbit? Actually, there'll be a lot of deaths due to famine, first ... and we keep covering some of the best farmland with cities.

And what's this about refusing to allow condoms in Africa, where some 20% or more of the population in some countries have AIDS? Plus, our government assistance programs over there are withdrawing support for agencies that offer such.

Humankind is rational??

ole joyful

What to do with old, tattered, falling-apart Bibles that no one wants?

I prefer the solution of Jewish law, which is to bury Bibles and prayer books in good earth. In other words, not in that strip of dirt next to the used car lot, but rather, somewhere reasonably nice such as a garden or under a tree. I was raised in a religious home in which the thought of burning a Bible would have been horrifying. Like burning the American flag, which can also be buried with respect.

It's the "ashes to ashes and dust to dust" idea, except, of course, no ashes!

I like that Sable!

Hey, BAD Kitty! HOW are YOU??? I've been looking for you
you haven't been around lately, or you've just been spying on us! ahahhahahaha
you are moving? where? To Washington? lol

you have a lot of good suggestions here!
(((((Katclaws)))))

ttt

sable thank you...will consider that...

Hi there Brat Kat! Didn't realize this thread was still going after I got those replies. For some reason the KT is so slow loading for me, so I took a break from the frustration of it. I still lurk & check up on y'all. LOL

thistledew, the parish they attended is in another state. It's been almost 2 years since I was up in the Chicago area & where they are buried & where I grew up.

jannie, I'm afraid we also have a picture of the Sacred Heart also. Only it's not really pretty. It looks really old & it's in black & white, and quite frankly it's kind of creepy, scary instead of a peacful looking sweet loving Jesus. This picture looks almost like Jesus' eyes follow you around the room. Reminds me of something that came out of an old rectory or school room or an exorcism or something. And it's like about 16 x 20 inches.

cate52 ..... LOLOL @ the urinals & bedpans. We must have the matching portable comode & walkers in our basement.

sable, I like your suggestion of burying old Bibles and the whole ashes to ashes idea. That sounds very respectful too. It's just that we sort of have a pet cemetary already in our yard, but it might be doable to find a good final resting place. But then again, my son brings his HUGE German Shepard, that can't pass up one tree without...um... marking his territory.

OJ, "It's the teaching that's valuable, not the vessel." Very wise & true indeed. I think the idea of burning old, tattered Bibles makes good sense as well. I believe that's what Veterans groups do with old tattered flags.

And, for the record, my husband actually lectors at our Parish, but I still don't think he'd feel very comfortable asking the priests. He thinks I'm a little nuts for worrying about this anyway. DH thinks I should just donate the items that are in good condition to the St. Vincent de Paul society, which is probably for the best. Hopefully scary Jesus picture will get a good home.

I'm more the "heathen", I guess. I do believe in God whole-heartedly, just not "organized religion so much anymore.

Thanks again for all of you're opinions & some good laughs. It was really interesting to know that I'm not the only one in same boat..... or should I say ark????

Blessings ~~ katclaws

I remember when there was a controversy over a drawing of a "Laughing Jesus". Some peiple found it disturbing. Not me. I believe the man enjoyed a good joke. and I know he liked wine! I saw the Scary Jesus and it didn't bother me a bit.