Our Story

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This article was originally published in Regina Magazine 2015. Veils by Lily now calls home beautiful historic Kimmswick, Missouri.

The history of the Catholic Church has taught us that real renewal movements start small and they come from the ground up. The latest example comes to us from St. Louis, where Veils by Lily, an enterprise producing traditional Catholic veils, is inspiring a deeper love for the Holy Eucharist and a strengthening of family life. 

Lily Beck Wilson is a cradle Catholic who had a "reversion" experience five years ago. "I was lukewarm..." she admitted. "I received the Eucharist as if it were something trivial." During her reversion, Lily studied Catholic doctrine of Christ's Real Presence. "My husband is Protestant, and I had to think about what I believed and why", she recalled. "I was blown away by John Chapter 6--how literal and forceful Jesus was."

The truth of the Real Presence was overwhelming to Lily--"the God of the universe was to be personally united to us--to me." Lily added that in a world where all of us long to be loved, it is in the Holy Eucharist that Jesus Christ Himself wants to give us all that love and more.

Lily wanted to acknowledge Our Lord's love--"to shout it from the rooftops", as she put it. The veil became her way of metaphorically doing just that. It wasn't easy--there were few, if any, at her parish who wore the veil, and wearing one had the disadvantage of bringing unwanted attention. When Lily saw a beautiful veil and thought "I could wear that", the inspiration for her business took hold. 

What if the veil could be made truly beautiful--a garment whose physical beauty would be a small reflection of the Divine Beauty that it seeks to honor and proclaim? Maybe more women would feel as Lily did and think "I could wear that." She put up a website and started to sell her own homemade veils. 

The business came in quickly, but there were challenges, including one pretty big hurdle before she ever went public--Lily didn't know how to sew. But she taught herself to use a sewing machine and the orders came in fast enough that it replaced her part-time job. 

Giving up the part-time job led to another fruit of her venture: more time near her husband and what was then three children. When she worked part-time she was starting work as her husband was coming home. "Family life was non-existent", she said. Now they could eat dinner as a family and rest on Sunday. 

Those good fruits extended to the families of others. Business increased to the point where Lily hired a seamstress and a shipping assistant, who each work part-time, along with several freelancers who cut veils. "It's flexible work with flexible schedules, and we ask everyone not to work on Sunday", Lily told Regina. "If I need something on Tuesday, it can wait until Wednesday if it means taking Sunday off. Family comes first."

Lily's family-first policy is a demonstration of a truly Catholic business, one that is Catholic at its soul, not just its exterior, and something that can be emulated whether one sells veils or widgets. 

Lily's husband is now in the RCIA program and preparing to enter the Church at Easter Vigil. The couple has had two additional children since the starting of the business; it was those births that showed her the need to hire help. When she needed office space to store the lace, she found it in the same building as Liguori Publications. The office has been blessed by a priest from the Institute of Christ The King. The building as a chapel, with the Blessed Sacrament. It seems quite appropriate for a venture encouraging Catholic women to take their faith in the Real Presence and shout it from the rooftops. 

 

The history of the Catholic Church has taught us that real renewal movements start small and they come  from the ground up. The latest example comes to us from St. Louis, where Veils By Lily, an enterprise   producing traditional Catholic veils is inspiring a deeper love for the Holy Eucharist and a strengthening   of family life.  Lily Beck Wilson is a cradle Catholic who had a “reversion” experience five years ago. “I was lukewarm…”   she admitted. “I received the Eucharist as if it were something trivial.” During her reversion, Lily studied   Catholic doctrine on Christ’s Real Presence. “My husband is Protestant, and I had to think about what   I believed and why”, she recalled. “I was blown away by John Chapter 6—how literal and forceful Jesus   was.”   The truth of the Real Presence was overwhelming to Lily—“the God of the universe wants to be   personally united to us—to me.” Lily added that in a world where all of us long to be loved, it is in the   Holy Eucharist that Jesus Christ Himself wants to give us all that love and more.   Lily wanted to acknowledge Our Lord’s love—“to shout it from the rooftops”, as she put it. The veil   became her way of metaphorically doing just that. It wasn’t easy—there were few, if any, at her parish   who wore the veil, and wearing one had the disadvantage of bringing unwanted attention. When Lily   saw a beautiful veil and thought “I could wear that”, the inspiration for her business took hold.   What if the veil could be made truly beautiful—a garment whose physical beauty would be a small   reflection of the Divine Beauty that it seeks to honor and proclaim? Maybe more women would feel as   Lily did and think “I could wear that.” She put up a website and started to sell her own homemade veils.   The business came in quickly, but there were challenges, including one pretty big hurdle before she ever   went public--Lily didn’t know how to sew. But she taught herself to use a sewing machine and the orders   came in fast enough that it replaced her part-time job.   Giving up the part-time job led to another fruit of her venture and it was more time near her husband   and what was then three children. When she worked part-time she was starting work as her husband   was coming home. “Family life was non-existent” she said. Now they could eat dinner as a family and   rest on Sunday.   Those good fruits extended to the families of others. Business increased to the point where Lily hired   a seamstress and a shipping assistant, who each work part-time, along with several freelancers who   cut veils. “It’s flexible work with flexible schedules, and we ask everyone not to work on Sunday,” Lily   told Regina. “If I need something on Tuesday, it can wait until Wednesday if it means taking Sunday off.   Family comes first.”   Lily’s family-first policy is a demonstration of a truly Catholic business, one that is Catholic at its soul, not   just its exterior, and something that can be emulated whether one sells veils or widgets.  Lily’s husband is now in the RCIA program and preparing to enter the Church at Easter Vigil, and the   couple had two additional children since the starting of the business. It was those births that showed   her the need to hire help. When she needed office space to store the lace, she found it in the same   building as Ligouri Publications. The office has been blessed by a priest from The Institute of Christ The   King. The building has a chapel, with the Blessed Sacrament. It seems quite appropriate for a venture   encouraging Catholic women to take their faith in the Real Presence and shout it from the rooftops.