The Celtic Cross Catholic Gift Shop

As an ordained minister, though non-​Catholic, I’m a sucker for a new religious gifts/​bookshop even if it does fall outside my denominational affiliation. So, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble across The Celtic Cross Catholic Gift Shop in North Willow Commons on Indy’s Northwestside in the same strip center as New Age People (I’ll admit it. I laughed) and Puccini’s Smiling Teeth along with other businesses. The real irony here is that I had just finished speaking to two Bishop Chatard High School social justice classes and had decided to get a bite to eat before heading home — then, I run into this place.
If you’ve ever been inside a Catholic gift shop, then you know what to expect. I would definitely call The Celtic Cross the best Catholic gift shop in the city (Yes, there are others!) as its layout is fantastic, the selection is top notch and the employees are all friendly and can answer even relatively obscure questions. For example, I found myself really intrigued by a photo on their wall and wondered who it was — it ended up being Maximilian Kolbe (Hey, I knew you were wondering!) — he was a Polish Franciscan Friar who sacrificed his life for another person at the Auschwitz Camp during the holocaust.
The Celtic Cross has some amazing things — artwork, LOTS of books, music, crosses, crucifixes, rosaries, patio and garden items, movies, items for kids, medals, candles and a whole lot more. Nora Commons is pretty wheelchair friendly with multiple accessible parking spots and appropriate curb cuts (though some could use a little updating). The Celtic Cross actually has two rooms — the front room seems to focus on pictures, décor, saint-​type items, and things such as that. The back room has a lot of the books, some music, candles, and some clothing items (with a dressing room available).
The Celtic Cross has monthly specials and an active Mother’s Day display right now. You can also get shipping — a flat $ 5 fee for anything under $ 50 and shipping is free on orders over $ 50.
I noticed that they had an awful lot of items for use with sacraments (baptism, confirmation, etc.). That’s not something I’ve seen as much of in other Catholic gift stores. On the other hand, I was a tad surprised to not see any Matt Maher music (he’s a contemporary Christian musician — probably one of the most popular and identifiable ones who is Catholic). They may have it, but I didn’t see it.
While I didn’t buy anything on this visit, I actually fell in love with the place despite not being Catholic. Oh sure, I occasionally saw certain items that that conflicted with my own theology. That’s to be expected and if it offends you then this is probably a place to avoid, but they had a nice balance across the theological spectrum even if I would likely consider The Celtic Cross to be on the more conservative/​traditional side.
That said, I saw several things where I thought «That would be awesome» and they had items for just about every budget. If you’re Catholic, I’d consider it to be a destination spot. If you’re a person of faith, I think you’ll be impressed with their offerings and could easily find gifts for the faith-​based person in your family or social circle.
While I’ll admit I am somewhat tempted to dip down to a 4-​star (hey, I really like Matt Maher!), the truth is I think The Celtic Cross does a stellar job of doing what it sets out to do and is likely Indy’s best option for persons of the Catholic faith.