Our friends over at NLM have a really good entry about sources for unbleached beeswax candles used for Requiem Masses.
Here is the post:
Sourcing Unbleached Beeswax Altar Candles
One of our priestly readers wrote in with the question of where to find unbleached beeswax altar candles for use at the altar or at the catafalque. [Consider various sizes, too.]
I know others had the same question following my recent post encouraging the use of unbleached beeswax candles alongside the use of black vestments for Requiems and also for All Souls Day — the latter of which is now but 5 weeks away. [Right! Tempus fugit.]
In view of that, the time to order for All Souls Day, if that is your goal, is certainly now.
Speaking personally, I know the Eastern Christians are those who still most commonly use these and they might be those who I would first seek out. One example I came across from a quick internet search was Sts. Mary and Martha Monastery in South Carolina — an Eastern Orthodox monastery. Some of their candles can be seen in the image to the right.
I thought I would put it out to our readers to see what their own recommendations might be. Who do you yourself know of who sells unbleached beeswax candles of various widths and heights suited church use, and sold, for that matter, at reasonably affordable prices?
Please use the comments.
Comment there and here.
Not too long ago I contacted my friend "John" in church goods at Leaflet Missal Company in St. Paul, MN. He got me a box of candles for the altar.
Another good source is T.H. Stemper Company, Inc., 1125 East Potter Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53027. Phone: (414)744-3610; email: jstmper3@wi.rr.com. Ask to speak with Jim Stemper
–chh
Our Byzantine brothers have them in Philadelphia:
goto: http://byzantinechurchsupplies.com/candles-charcoal.html
Also consider Southeast Church Supply. I have ordered unbleached beeswax candles from them and they are very prompt: http://www.churchproducts.com/Orthodox_51_Beeswax_Unbleached.html
I have a close Orthodox friend who has recommended this company…I have ordered their candles as they were very moderately priced and are 100% beeswax. :)
http://www.archangelsbooks.com/products.asp?cat=Tapers
They sell tapers and votives–my link is to the tapers. God bless you!
Try Marklin Candle Co. in New Hampshire. They’re famous for their paschal candles.
http://marklincandledesign.com/unble_alt_candles.html
We are only allowed to use unbleached beeswax, so any Eastern Rite or Orthodox supplier will carry them. Note, however, that those of a Slavic bent are likely to produce narrow tapers to fit into Slavic-style candle holders, while Byzantine (Greek, Middle Eastern) suppliers will likely have thicker ones, since they put candles in sandboxes.
At our parish, we order ours from a monastery.
In the UK a major source of all liturgical candles is Hayes and Finch. This includes unbleached ones in various sizes