Find Your Christmas Oasis on King Street with the Sisters of Pauline Books & Media
By Sr. Margaret Timothy Sato
Alexandria, VA – Are you looking for an oasis on King Street in Old Town?
A quiet place away from all the noise and chaos of the holiday shopping?
In the rush of the weeks before Christmas, it’s easy to turn the season into a checklist of gifts. Yet at its heart, Christmas is about relationship—relationship with one another, with family and friends, and also with God.
Standing at the corner of King and Henry Streets is Pauline Books & Media, a book and gift store run by Catholic sisters, the Daughters of St. Paul. But there’s something more there. When you stop in, you discover that you feel right away at ease, at home. It’s the welcome they extend to everyone.
Sr. Julia Mary said, “You’re only strangers till you’ve said hello. After that, you’re family. That’s how God sees you. That’s how we see you. And these simple, ordinary relationships can be the start of something huge.”
So, take a refreshing pause. Stop in to chat with the sisters or just say hello. The sisters are always there. “And the best part is the chapel tucked away on the second floor above the book store,” Sr. Joan Paula said. “It’s open to whoever wanders in and wants to have a chat with God or just to sit for a while and absorb the peace.”
“Sometimes we can think the world turns on big, momentous events,” Sr. Julia Mary reflected, “when actually, life-changing events happen very simply—like finding your next best step. Sometimes it’s an inspirational gift. Sometimes it’s that connection you make with another person. Sometimes it’s just an ordinary step you take that is the start of something huge.”
The sisters at Pauline Books & Media are at 1025 King Street in Old Town Alexandria. Find out about their Coffee & Conversation events, Birthday Party for Baby Jesus on December 13, and other events for children throughout the year at pauline.org/alx.
“So if you’re ready for an oasis, come in and say hello.”
