(RNS) — Near the register at the Advent Shop, a 20-year-old Catholic religious goods store on Long Island, New York, a wooden table has been carefully arranged into a kind of altar. Stacked with book versions of Pope Francis’ encyclicals, images of the late pontiff, rosaries featuring his papal cross and small silver rosary rings packed neatly beside his smiling face, customers gaze at and fiddle with the items as they wait to check out.
“Even when he just became ill, people were already coming in wanting a prayer card and wanting to pray for Pope Francis,” said Sarah Ryan, the store’s owner. “It’s like losing a family member.”
The display acts as a tribute and also a signal that the Catholic Church, and the culture and businesses that surround it, are in a time of transition. “We’ve got vendors ready,” Ryan said. “As soon as that smoke comes, praise God, they’ll know who it is, and they’ll get some stuff ready.”
Nestled in Massapequa, a suburb about 40 miles east of Manhattan, the Advent Store is as much a spiritual refuge as a small business. Ryan, who affectionately calls customers “baby” and “honey,” often guides them to the front right corner of the store, where a …