St Pauls to open two new bookstores in Derry and Letterkenny

St Pauls, an international religious bookstore chain, is set to open two new branches in Ireland. One store will be located in Derry, and the other in Letterkenny, counties that have been seeking a replacement since the closure of Veritas.

The opening of the two stores is especially meaningful for the people of Letterkenny, as the former Veritas location was not just a place to purchase religious items – you could also find a small chapel and relics for visitors to pray inside the shop. The closure of Veritas left many wondering whether any company would step in to fill that gap in the local community.

Former Veritas manager Sheila Macken shared her excitement about the new project with St Pauls. “St Pauls will offer a different range of religious goods and books compared to what we had at Veritas. Obviously, we couldn’t stock everything, but St Pauls has many of their own publications, which is brilliant.”

The first St Pauls store is expected to open in Letterkenny before the end of February, with Sheila playing an active role in the new project. The exact opening date for the Derry branch is still to be confirmed. St Pauls’ expansion into these locations comes as an answer to local customers who have been asking about the future of religious goods and literature since Veritas closed its doors.

During the Mass held in December at the Letterkenny branch to mark the closure of Veritas, the retired Bishop of the Diocese, Philip Boyce, praised Sheila Macken, stating that she “took it on as a labour of love, and under her leadership, it grew and prospered, strengthening year after year.”

The new stores will provide a wide selection of books, religious goods, and publications that will respond to the needs of the community, ensuring that the locals in Derry and Letterkenny have access to faith-based resources close to home.