Miracoli Rosaries

About Me

My name is Jennifer Sinclair and this is Miracoli Rosaries.

Married to my beloved for seventeen years, we've been blessed by our three wonderful children with us and five little saints waiting in Heaven.

We are an Army family and Catholic home educators as well. We've weathered years apart through field time and deployments; lived in a foreign country speaking a new language; and have met good people everywhere we've ever been. I've learned how to be a teacher to my children as well as their mother; what works in our home educating and what doesn't; and what it means to try and live out the will of God, and to live for God. Neither home educating nor military life is easy, but they'll stretch and grow you like nothing else. We like to think of it as a holy pruning (John 15:5).

Bead-wise, I've been enamored with beads longer than I can remember. When I was very little, I remember my Grandma Jeanie's sparkling brooches and earrings and how she let me play with all of those jewelry box treasures. I loved seeing the explosion of rainbows all over the room when the sun hit those gems just so (and still do!). There is just something about a beautiful piece of ornamentation that lifts the soul to things higher than this time and place.

I received my degree in Art and Education from Gonzaga University, having studied all the classics: drawing, painting, ceramics and design. I love to experiment with color, design and texture, juxtaposition and the element of surprise (sometimes). Making the most of every design choice--from materials to colors to devotions--to impart the deepest meaning for each piece is absolutely required; the finished work must be deeply personal. But I love it the most when everything comes together and becomes more than simply the sum of its parts. It's the shift from synthesis to catalyst that is the mark of any good work of art: it reminds us of the glory of God; transports our human condition upward; and inspires us to become better people than we think we can be. In a small, inexplicable way, glorious works of art draw us to the Divine and become food for our pilgrim journey.

But what brings me to the bench every day is our Catholic faith. Being able to create beads that help to feed the soul through praying the rosary is a privilege and a joy that I take to heart. Every chaplet, every rosary and every client mean so much to me. It is my greatest hope that every Miracoli Bead will be counted, prayed and cherished for generations, and that hearts will be transformed, lifted and perfected through a lifetime of prayer and service to our Lord through the intercession of His mother. To be even the smallest part of that is a gift that I could never fully measure, and for that, this rosary maker is both truly humbled and thoroughly blessed.

Blessings,
Jennifer

Original Designs, Images and Text Copyright © 2007-2009 Miracoli Rosaries. All Rights Reserved.

1,000

I have a particular devotion to the Holy Souls in Purgatory, and when I "discovered" the prayer of St. Gertrude the Great (below), it was a must. Our Lord appeared to St. Gertrude and gave her this prayer with the promise that each time it was prayed 1,000 souls would be released from Purgatory.

What does this mean for you? With every rosary and chaplet, each time I string a Pater (Our Father) bead, I hold this bead close and pray this prayer. By the time a rosary is complete, that's 6,000 souls who have been released by God from Purgatory. What a beautiful gift! My fervent hope and prayer for every Miracoli sacramental is that the souls freed from Purgatory during the making of the piece will become powerful and reliable intercessors for the owner of the sacramental. This is my hope and prayer for you.

The Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great
"Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, for those in my own home and within my family. Amen."
Approval and recommendation (sgd.) M. Cardinal Pahiarca at Lisbon, Portugal, on March 4, 1936.

St. Gertrude the Great died in 1334, and her feast day is November 16th. Her special devotions were to the Passion, the Holy Souls and to our Blessed Mother.

Original Designs, Images and Text Copyright © 2007-2009 Miracoli Rosaries. All Rights Reserved.

15 Promises

These are the 15 Promises of Mary, given to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan:

Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in heaven.
You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
All those who propagate the holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son Jesus Christ.
Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Imprimatur: Patrick J. Hayes, D.D.
Archbishop of New York

WHY MARY?

Because at one time, Our Lord and Savior was three years old--and if you've ever been the mother of a three-year-old, you know what a challenge that can be. But it goes far beyond successfully raising a three-year-old to manhood.

For most people who aren't familiar with the Catholic faith, there is a misconception that Catholics worship Mary. Nothing could be further from the truth!

First you have to ask just what is worship? Dictionary.com defines worship as the "reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred". In the Catholic Church, we would have to go the dictionary one further and clarify that worship is the honor, reverence, glory and homage paid to God and God alone; to worship anyone or anything other than God is to break the law of God.

So, if we aren't worshipping Mary, why do we spend so much time and energy on her?
Let me start by asking how your own mother fits into your life. You talk to your mom, sit and eat with her, love her, go out with her...and worship her as God. Right? Well, of course not. Yes, you do spend time with your mother and love her because, well, she's Mom after all. And that is perfectly ok--actually, it's great--as long as you don't bow down to your mom and declare her to be the One Creator of the universe and everything that is good, beautiful and true.

And it's the same with Mary as well. We pray to Mary* because we love her as the mother given to us by Christ Jesus. As He hung on the Cross, struggling for breath, every single word served a specific, pointed and perfect purpose; the dying don't tend to mince or waste their words. Christ proclaimed "'...to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother'" (John 19:27). Indeed, Christ gave His mother not only to St. John, but to all of humanity, His love for her was so great. When we pray to Mary, we can do this in complete confidence, because she is our mother as well.

And when you stop to think about it, the power of Mary's intercession is incredible and undeniable. Jesus was like us in all things, but sin. Mary consented to the will of God and carried Him in her womb when the discovery of her unmarried pregnancy (regardless of betrothal) could have brought her death by stoning--and she knew this; she raised Him up from the tiniest baby to a full-grown man, teaching Him in the ways of love, patience, kindness, and everything else that true man would need to learn in order to reveal His nature as True God. It's a given that children learn by watching the examples they see every day; what an incredible example He must have had before Him in His mother, Mary.

It is with joyful confidence that we ask Mary to pray for us, and we know without a doubt that she hears our prayers. And we know that He listens to her and as the perfect Jewish Son is obedient to His mother, thus keeping the fourth Commandment. At the wedding at Cana, Jesus balked at helping out with the wine situation, citing that "My hour has not yet come", until His mother, Mary, told the servers, "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:4,5) And He did, and they did.

It is my hope and prayer that you, too, will find great love, solace and comfort--and a powerful intercessor--hidden in the mantle of Our Lady, Mary, the Mother of God.**

* Important note: When we Catholics say that we pray to Mary (or to any Saint), we are asking her to intercede for us to her Son, Jesus. When we say we "pray" to her what we mean is "intercede", but we use it interchangeably with the word "pray"...admittedly, this causes a lot of confusion...our bad.

** Referring to Mary as the Mother of God has been known to make some go weak in the knees thinking that Catholics worship Mary as the Creator of the Christ. I offer my most sincere and profound apologies to anyone who has suffered due to this misunderstanding. "Mother of God" is a title given to Mary that is proven by simple logic: Mary is the mother of Jesus; Jesus is God; therefore, Mary is the Mother of God. That's it--no more, and no less. The Catholic Church has not ever, does not currently, and will never teach that Mary created Christ's Divine nature as True God. Our Blessed Mother was His mom, who loved Him, raised Him, and was there at the foot of the Cross because He was her baby--and she knew that she needed a Savior, too.

Original Designs, Images and Text Copyright © 2007-2009 Miracoli Rosaries. All Rights Reserved.

GUARANTEED

All Miracoli Rosaries pieces are guaranteed for as long as I draw breath, have the use of my hands, and have my wits.

If you ever have any sort of problem with your purchase, send me all the parts and I will fix it (you pay to ship to me and I pay to ship back to you). There is no labor charge ever to fix anything that I've made.

If you have a significant loss of parts within one year of purchase, replacement of those parts is free (Crucifix, center, rare beads, etc); after one year, there is a replacement charge. Since no one enjoys getting blindsided with unexpected charges, I will provide you with a cost estimate beforehand, then proceed as you wish.

Please Note: You agree to contact me for my current address (we are mobile military folks : ) and a current item valuation before shipping, as Sterling prices change frequently, more so even than our address. You must track and insure your piece at the time of shipping via an approved shipper (no USPS). If it's lost en route and was not insured, then the replacement guarantee will unfortunately be nullified. It would absolutely break my heart to have to be in this situation (you have no idea!), so please help us both by observing this requirement; it's a good policy that protects us both.

Purchasing

Payment

I use PayPal as my payment solution (bank draft/credit card/debit card only). Not to worry, you don't need a PayPal account to do business with Miracoli Rosaries; anyone can pay using PayPal. It's very easy and safe.

Sales Tax

Miracoli Beads is a registered business in the State of California. Sales tax is collected on all orders purchased/shipped within California.

Shipping

I will carefully package and ship your purchase within 24 hours of receiving payment. Shipping charges are based on your needs: First Class/Priority/UPS or FedEx Ground/Overnight/etc. I understand that there are times when you need an item *yesterday* and time is of the essence; I am happy to provide rush service for you. There is no charge for In-house Rush Service (as in rushing in the house to prepare your package and rushing out of the house to the shipping center). Please know that you are responsible for any expedited shipping charges that you may require (figure on at least $40+ for overnight shipping); those charges will be included in your invoice and are due at the time of sale. Once I receive your payment in full, my team and I will quickly and carefully tend to your parcel. We will do absolutely everything in our power to get your items shipped ASAP; however, please understand that I make no personal claims or guarantees of a shipper's ability to deliver in the time requested. It is the buyer's responsibility to provide correct name and shipping address (no PO Boxes) and to receive the package. If there should ever be a problem with a shipment, I will work diligently to get it resolved to your complete satisfaction. I want you to be thoroughly happy with every part of your experience with Miracoli Rosaries.

Gifting Service & Packaging

Gifting Service is provided free of charge. Your gift is neatly boxed and adorned with a swallow tail ribbon. Your gift is then packaged in a shipping box cushioned with vanilla-colored tissue paper shreds to protect it during shipment. The outer shipping box is then shrink-wrapped to give an extra level of protection from the elements and the shipping process itself.

Returns for Exchange or Refunds

This is no problem. Simply contact me within 14 days of receiving the item for Authorization to Return. For Exchanges, you pay to ship the item to me and I will pay to ship it back to you. If you are exchanging for an item of lesser value, I will refund the difference, less shipping. If your exchange is for an item of greater value, then you will need to remit the difference to Miracoli Beads. Upon receipt of additional payment, I will be able to ship your adjustment to you. For situations in which a gift is being returned, the same Return Policy applies, except that the 14-day return window begins as soon as the recipient receives their Miracoli Beads gift (on your honor).

Repairs

Please see what is Guaranteed for complete details.

Materials

Just as fine cooking starts with the freshest ingredients, designing and crafting sacramentals to last several centuries likewise demands the best. Beauty and heirloom durability are two of the primary guiding principles here at Miracoli Beads.

Crucifixes and Centers

There is something so beautiful and poignant about our components. Every Crucifix and center that we use here is hand cast--never stamped--from vintage originals found all over the world. Each one carries the wear and love of the original owner--a faith legacy, if you will. My favorite pieces are those where the feet of Christ have been worn to smooth; I wonder how long the owner had that Crucifix, what worries and joys were lifted up in prayer, and how long it was in their family. I imagine a mother in Italy, soon-to-be grandmother, sitting in quiet prayer, waiting on word that her daughter has safely delivered that first grandchild. Or a young soldier in France, praying for protection while in a foxhole during the war. Or someone's abuelo in Mexico, praying on his Our Lady of Guadalupe medal in tearful thanksgiving for Our Lady's intercession and the answer to fervent prayer for a harvest good enough to provide for his family for the rest of the year.
When we use the reproductions of these precious parts, not only do we get to appreciate works of art not commonly seen anymore, but we continue the legacy of faith in the Family of God. They are truly special, and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our casters who are committed to providing these little treasures, especially in light of the skyrocketing precious metals market.

Wire

At Miracoli Beads, we use only solid alloy wires: either Argentium Sterling or Bronze. You won't ever find plated wire here or anything that will chip or flake away with the passage of time.
    Argentium. You may have heard about this stuff, or it may be something you're learning about for the first time. It's my favorite Sterling! It's brighter than simple Sterling and is a low tarnish alloy. It's probably a stretch to say that it's "no tarnish", but its rate of tarnish is extremely low, thanks to the extra germanium that is added to the silver. The addition of germanium causes the surface of the metal to be "sealed" and allows the silver to stay beautifully bright and clear much longer than what you're used to.
    Why Argentium? Have you ever tried to polish the links of a pearl rosary, one link at a time? Perish the thought! That's why Argentium. When the Argentium eventually needs a little shine, a quick wipe with a clean, soft cloth is all that you need to bring it right back to good as new. No silver polish needed--ever! From the user's point of view, that's why it's great stuff. From the silversmith's point of view, though, it's superior for the health benefits. Argentium doesn't produce Sterling's usual firescale during production, which is an important health benefit for the highly skilled and wonderful human beings who work to provide us with quality precious metals.
    Bronze. It's earthy, gorgeous and ancient. It slows us down and connects us to the past. And it's a great option if you're on a budget. Even if you're not watching your pennies, bronze is such a beautiful metal to design with. The wire starts out bright and you might think slightly pink, but ages to a deep, rich brown, like an old penny. It's also very strong and when wire-wrapped, can easily stand up to toddler mischief without so much as breaking a sweat. In other words, you won't have to baby your beads.

Gemstones

The Mohs hardness of your prayer beads shouldn't keep you awake at night--that's our job. Some beads are just too soft to stand up to daily use and abuse that prayer beads tend to endure. Let's be real about the life of a rosary: they get rolled up, thrown in purses, briefcases, hung on rearview mirrors, grabbed as you're flying out the door--oops! caught on the door knob... and now the beads are all over the floor as you're trying to get to rosary before Mass. Or they can fall into the hands of our littlest Catholics, who have yet to learn their own strength. Let's not even discuss the washing machine. On hot wash, extra rinse, fast spin cycle. We've all forgotten to check our pockets a time or two. Or ten...
Rosaries need to be tough: cord can get hard and rot (though it washes well : ), chain can break, and plastic can crack (or melt, as the case may be). That's why we make it our job to make sure that our beads come from good, solid gemstones that won't crumble in your hands. Opal is a popular request for a rosary (wouldn't we all love to see one!), but opals are so soft and temperamental that if they make it out of the studio in one piece, they probably won't see a year of prayer life without crumbling. Our gemstones are chosen for their quality, beauty and durability.

Lampwork Glass Paters

So just what is lampwork? "Lampwork" covers a wide range of styles, but all are beads made from glass. But not all Lampwork is created equal. You have to be very careful with your sources. If you choose beads that are mass-produced overseas, you can run into quality issues from the manufacturing process itself to the individual bead's beauty: a rose should look like a rose, not a blob. If you choose Lampwork beads from anyone who hangs out their bead maker's shingle, you still aren't guaranteed any sort of quality or durable process in their creation.
What we have found here at Miracoli Beads is that artisan beads provide the most bang for the buck. They are more expensive initially; however, you can't beat artisan beads for the beauty, durability, consistency and precise production process. An artisan lampworker cares very much about the quality of their work and has likely spent years, if not decades, building their style and reputation for quality work. The artisan lampworker doesn't just "make glass beads", they create tiny little works of art, putting a little of themselves into each creation and they care very deeply about the quality of their work and the designer's end result. When your love and your passion is designing beads for someone's prayer life, you can't put a price on real quality.
We have also found that getting to know the artisans is very rewarding. It's wonderful to get to know the people who you trust to help create your finished works. Our Lampwork beads are all made here in America by real artists who devote untold time, expense and effort to perfect their own art. We are so pleased to offer the Lampwork of artisans Kalera Stratton, Michelle Courchaine, Breezy Riggs and Lynn Bauter. These artists have poured their all into the beads that you will hold in your hands as Paters, if your rosary, chaplet or tenner features these miniature works of art.

Swarovski Crystal

The name Swarovski is recognized the world over as the best crystal beads that you can buy--anywhere. These Austrian beads (aka "swarkies"), though more expensive than competing brands, can't be beat for their precise facets, consistent quality, exhaustive range of colors, shapes and sizes, and the entire reason that we all love crystal in the first place--that rainbow flash. Swarovski is the only brand of crystal that we use here at Miracoli Rosaries; quite simply, it never disappoints.