A gift idea for a christening, First Communion or Confirmation

Why give a print of the Basilica of Lisieux?

Lisieux is the town of Saint Thérèse, one of the best-loved saints in the world. After Lourdes, it is the second-largest pilgrimage site in France. For many families, the basilica brings back a pilgrimage, a prayer or a holiday in Normandy.

A print has three advantages over the usual gifts:

• It lasts. A medal often ends up in a drawer; a print stays on the wall, first in a bedroom, later in a first home.
• It is unique. Each print is hand-numbered, in a limited edition of 100 per colourway.
• It suits every age. Choose a gentle drawing for a baby, a bright stained-glass design for a First Communion, an architect's plan for a teenager.

For a christening

For a christening, you want something gentle that will find its place in the nursery and grow with the little one. Our designs for little pilgrims were made for this: soft colours, simple shapes and the basilica at the centre.

Hello Rainbow shows the basilica under a big rainbow. Snowflakes on the Basilica places it in a snow globe, perfect for a winter christening. The Treasure Map is an illustrated map with the river, the cows and the apple trees of the Pays d'Auge.

For a baby named Thérèse, Teresa, Louis, Zélie, Céline or Pauline, the nod is even stronger: these are the names of the saint, of her parents, who were also canonised in 2015, and of her sisters.

For a First Communion

The link is a direct one: Thérèse made her First Communion in Lisieux on 8 May 1884, in the chapel of the Benedictine abbey where she went to school. She was 11. In her memoirs she calls it the most beautiful day of her life.

For this occasion we recommend the prints inspired by stained glass, bright and colourful. Window to Heaven draws the basilica inside a great arched window. The Rose of Lisieux surrounds it with a rose window. For a softer style, Blue Morning on the Hill is a watercolour in the morning mist.

For a Confirmation

At 12 or 15, a less conventional gift is often welcome, something that will fit in a teenager's room. Thérèse herself was confirmed in Lisieux on 14 June 1884, a few weeks after her First Communion.

Norman Inks has the spirit of a risograph print, with a big sun and a graphic halftone. The Great Blueprint and Beneath the Dome show the basilica as an architect's drawing: a good choice for a young person who loves drawing, science or architecture.

For godparents and pilgrims

A print is also a lovely thank-you for a godparent, or a keepsake for someone coming back from a pilgrimage to Lisieux. For a living room or a study, The Golden Dome recalls the great Art Deco posters. Travel Keepsake looks like a watercolour postcard, complete with stamp. Evening Rooftops shows the basilica at sunset, above the roofs of the town.

Saint Thérèse's feast day, 1 October, is also a good occasion to give a print to someone named Thérèse or Teresa.

Which size to choose?

• A6 (10.5 × 14.8 cm), €19: to slip into a card or stand on a shelf in a small frame.
• A5 (14.8 × 21 cm), €27: for a bedside table or a prayer corner.
• A4 (21 × 29.7 cm), €39: the most popular gift size, ideal above a bed.
• A3 (29.7 × 42 cm), €55: for a living room, a hallway or a large wall.

All prints are made in France on 310 gsm fine art paper, with pigment inks that last. They are shipped flat between two rigid boards, or in a reinforced tube for €3 more. They fit standard shop-bought frames.

Frequently asked questions

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