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Founded by a single Catholic laywoman in her late 20s in 1939 with a new vision of evangelization, the store became a ‘creator of community.’
The only Catholic bookstore in New Orleans closed for good on Friday, having survived fire, floods and hurricanes, but not the internet.
“Closing the store is heartbreaking for all of us, but it’s an economic necessity. The book business has changed, and we haven’t changed with it,” said Margaret Kelly, treasurer and member of the board of trustees of the nonprofit foundation that runs The Catholic Book Store.
Store manager Anne Komly called the store “a mission.”
“Everybody loves this store. They come in and say it’s so peaceful. They feel like they’re in a church or a chapel,” she said.
Komly spoke to the Register by telephone on Friday, the painful last day, amid well-wishers.
“We’ve done a lot of good here, and we’ve touched a lot of lives,” Komly said. “And it’s shown by the people who have been coming in here, despondent, teary-eyed.”
Continued below.
www.ncregister.com
The only Catholic bookstore in New Orleans closed for good on Friday, having survived fire, floods and hurricanes, but not the internet.
“Closing the store is heartbreaking for all of us, but it’s an economic necessity. The book business has changed, and we haven’t changed with it,” said Margaret Kelly, treasurer and member of the board of trustees of the nonprofit foundation that runs The Catholic Book Store.
Store manager Anne Komly called the store “a mission.”
“Everybody loves this store. They come in and say it’s so peaceful. They feel like they’re in a church or a chapel,” she said.
Komly spoke to the Register by telephone on Friday, the painful last day, amid well-wishers.
“We’ve done a lot of good here, and we’ve touched a lot of lives,” Komly said. “And it’s shown by the people who have been coming in here, despondent, teary-eyed.”
Continued below.
End of an Era: NOLA’s Only Catholic Bookstore Closes
Founded by a single Catholic laywoman in her late 20s in 1939 with a new vision of evangelization, the store became a ‘creator of community.’
