Catholic To The Max: How a Steubenville Family Business Became America's Biggest Catholic Manufacturer
What happens when a Catholic family in the heart of Ohio's steel country turns a small woodshop into a nationwide Catholic manufacturing powerhouse—producing everything from San Damiano crosses to framed sacred art, all by hand?
Meet Catholic To The Max—a Catholic family business based in Steubenville, Ohio, that produces and sells Catholic apparel, fine art, devotional items, and gifts. Founded by Mark and Gretchen Nelson, the company manufactures or finishes 100% of its products in-house at their Steubenville workshop, serving over 800 Catholic bookstores across the United States and Canada—plus thousands of individual customers through their online store.
From a Small Woodshop to America's Biggest Catholic Manufacturer
The story of Catholic To The Max begins at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Mark Nelson moved to Steubenville from Kansas City, Missouri during high school, drawn by the vibrant Catholic community centered around the university. He and Gretchen both attended Franciscan briefly before spending five years in pro-life missionary work.
In 1994, Mark purchased a small religious woodworking business from Rev. Sam Tiesi—a shop where he had worked during his high school years. At the time, the operation had just one client (Franciscan University) and ten products. Mark used his woodworking and construction skills to grow the business from that modest beginning.
In 2003, catholictothemax.com was launched as one of the original Catholic T-shirt and apparel companies, with the goal of providing dynamic evangelization tools directly to the faithful. Today, the company offers more than 75,000 products distributed across 2,000+ stores, with major clients including EWTN, Leaflet Missal Press, and Franciscan University itself.
Their facility occupies a refurbished elementary school building on Steubenville's south side, where the team combines traditional woodworking techniques with modern machinery to create products built "to last for generations."
Catholic in Steubenville
Steubenville, Ohio, is no ordinary small town for Catholics. Home to Franciscan University of Steubenville—one of the most faithful Catholic universities in the country—the city has become a hub for Catholic life, education, and entrepreneurship. The Diocese of Steubenville has a deep Catholic heritage, and the Nelson family has been part of building that culture from the ground up.
Beyond Catholic To The Max, the Nelsons have opened several shops in downtown Steubenville to help revitalize the area: Drosselmeyer's Nutcracker Shoppe, Leonardo's Coffeehouse (Renaissance Coffee Roasting Company), and the Steubenville Popcorn Company. They also run Nelson Fine Art & Gifts and Freedom to the Max. In 2018, Mark and Gretchen Nelson and their family were honored at Franciscan University's annual Founders' Association Dinner for their contributions to the university and local community.
As Mark Nelson has put it: "The most rewarding thing about this job is the opportunity to make beautiful things that directly affect people's spiritual lives and make a difference in the world."
The Name Says It All
There is nothing tentative about the name "Catholic To The Max." It is a declaration. In a culture that often encourages believers to keep their faith quiet and private, this business invites Catholics to be visible, joyful, and unashamed in their devotion.
That spirit infuses their entire product line. This is not a store that hedges its bets with vaguely spiritual merchandise. Everything they carry is rooted in the Catholic tradition—and most of it is made by hand in their own workshop, not imported.
What They Offer
Catholic To The Max carries a massive selection of Catholic goods, including:
- Catholic Apparel — T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, hats, and religious ties featuring bold Catholic designs
- Art & Posters — Fine art prints, framed artwork, canvas pieces, and posters handcrafted in solid wood frames in their Steubenville workshop
- Crosses & Crucifixes — Including their signature San Damiano Cross line, wall crosses, and outdoor crosses
- Devotional Items — Rosaries (chain, wood, and plastic), prayer cards, novena materials, and prayer booklets
- Gifts — Mugs, candles, keepsake boxes, greeting cards, and sacramental milestone gifts
- Home Decor — Statues, outdoor shrines, magnets, photo frames, plaques, and ornaments
- Children's Products — Catholic clothing, books, toys, and room decor for kids
- Seasonal Items — Christmas cards, Easter gifts, and Advent materials
- Custom Printing — Custom printing services and wholesale options for parishes and bookstores
Their product line includes a notable piece of Catholic history: the San Damiano Cross. A T.O.R. Friar at Franciscan University created the first San Damiano Crosses produced in the United States, and Catholic To The Max has carried on that tradition, offering the cross in prints, wall plaques, outdoor crosses, T-shirts, bookends, and even personalized Catholic Bibles.
Why Catholic Retail Matters
Every time a Catholic retailer closes its doors, the faithful lose more than a place to shop. They lose a gathering point, a source of catechesis, a visible sign of Catholic presence in the community. Catholic bookstores and gift shops have been closing at an alarming rate over the past two decades, victims of online mega-retailers and shrinking margins.
Businesses like Catholic To The Max push back against that trend. By maintaining both a robust online store and a physical retail presence in Steubenville, they serve as a bridge between the convenience of e-commerce and the irreplaceable value of American-made Catholic goods. They also supply over 800 Catholic bookstores nationwide, helping keep those shops stocked and thriving.
Serving the Whole Catholic Life
What makes Catholic To The Max particularly valuable is the breadth of their offerings. A Catholic family can turn to them for every milestone: a baptismal cross for a newborn, a rosary for a First Communicant, a patron saint medal for a confirmand, a crucifix for a new home, a memorial gift for a funeral. They accompany the faithful from cradle to grave, providing tangible expressions of the faith at every step.
Why This Matters
Catholic To The Max is not just another online Catholic gift shop — it is the largest Catholic manufacturer in the United States that makes or finishes every product in-house. When the Nelsons started with one client and ten products in 1994, the idea that a family workshop in Steubenville could grow to supply 800+ Catholic bookstores and 75,000+ products seemed impossible. But they did it without outsourcing production overseas, and in the process they revitalized downtown Steubenville with multiple faith-inspired storefronts. If Catholic To The Max closed tomorrow, hundreds of Catholic bookstores across the country would lose their primary domestic supplier of crosses, framed art, and devotional goods — and American Catholic manufacturing would lose its flagship.
How You Can Support
- Visit their online store at catholictothemax.com and browse their full catalog of 75,000+ products.
- Shop with them for sacramental gifts — baptisms, First Communions, confirmations, and weddings.
- Tell your parish about Catholic To The Max, especially if your parish bookstore needs a wholesale supplier.
- Follow them on social media — Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.
- Write a review to help other Catholics discover this faithful manufacturer and retailer.
Discover More Catholic Gifts & Retail — Go Paid
Catholic To The Max is the anchor of our Catholic gifts and church supply directory. Paid subscribers get our Catholic Gift-Giving Guide — a seasonal roundup of American-made rosaries, crosses, sacred art, and sacramental gifts from businesses like the Nelsons, organized by occasion and price range.
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What is your favorite Catholic devotional item? Is there a rosary, medal, or piece of sacred art that holds special meaning for you? Share your story in the comments.
Catholic To The Max 980 Lincoln Avenue, Steubenville, OH 43952 Phone: 740-282-5334 Hours: Monday–Friday, 8AM–5PM (EST) Website: catholictothemax.com DCB Listing: Find Catholic To The Max on Discover Catholic Business
Sources: Catholic To The Max, Nelson Fine Art & Gifts, Franciscan University Troubadour, Catholic News Agency, Diocese of Steubenville, Discover Catholic Business