Old saints get a new commercial spin in US

A consumer advocacy lawyer when he’s not painting medallions, Clemenz, 39, became fascinated by the lives of saints after inheriting religious books from his father-in-law, a former Holy Cross brother. "I just kind of got obsessed," he says.

In 1997, with the help of his family, Clemenz began importing religious medals from Italy, hand painting them, and attaching the appropriate mini-bio to each. Among the 150 saints now available are St. Clare, patroness of television and its programmers and St. Martin de Porres, patron saint of hairdressers.

NASCAR fans have St. Richard, patron saint of race car drivers and car enthusiasts. Most people are familiar with "supersaints" like Jude andFrancis, but, Clemenz explains, "When you get to some of the others, you’ve got to be a little whimsical."

Clemenz’s contemporary takes on the saints’ stories have thus yielded St. Florian, patron saint of beer lovers, and St. Paul, patron saint of interior design. Although patron saints are a Roman Catholic tradition, Clemenz, himself a Catholic, says the medals are nondenominational — even secular — tokens of hope.

“I don’t care if you’re Buddhist or Jewish or Presbyterian if there is a story behind a saint that can give you comfort.” To encourage people to pass on the medals, Clemenz adopted the motto "Serenity for sharing." Orders have come from as far away as California, despite the fact that Clemenz doesn’t advertise, have a press kit or a business plan.

The medals have become popular among urban 20-somethings, some of whom, Clemenz concedes, may be wearing them with hip irony. "If people are wearing them as a joke, then I welcome it," he says. "Someone might open themselves up to learning."Word of mouth, dumb luck, or perhaps divine intervention lead buyers to his web site (saintsforsinners.com) The saints cost 14.95 dollars a piece, and are also sold in a handful of US stores.