Tennessee scapular company seeks to strengthen families, aid children

Published: 2005-12-06

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) -- Like many families who visit the Holy Family Chapel, a log cabin nestled in the hills of rural middle Tennessee, the Wilsons of St. Henry Parish in Nashville draw strength from the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. To help "spread the message of family," Joe Wilson, a junior at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, and his five siblings recently started a Web-based business, the Holy Family Scapular Co. (www.holyfamilyscapular.com). Their aim is to help a wider audience rediscover the values of faith, love and sacrifice needed to preserve families. A scapular is made up of two small pieces of cloth joined by ribbon or cord, and is worn on the chest and back beneath one's clothes as a sign of religious devotion. The Wilsons are not in business to make a profit, but to "spread the news about Jesus while helping other children," as Jim Wilson puts it. One dollar from the sale of each $5.95 scapular is given to charities. In the company's first six weeks, the Wilsons received nearly 400 orders through their Web site.

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