In the middle of Bletchley’s busy high street, surrounded by coffee shops, takeaways and nail bars, there is a rather unexpected oasis, a Catholic shop where people come not only to buy a Bible, rosary or First Holy Communion gift, but sometimes to discover faith itself.
Tucked beside the post office and opening into the Agora shopping centre, Ave Maria Religious Supplies is not quite what you might expect to find in a busy shopping precinct. Inside, familiar Catholic images, statues, prayer cards and religious books sit alongside conversations about life, faith and God. And those conversations are having a remarkable impact.
According to Fr Emmanuel Okami, the parish priest at St Augustine, Milton Keynes, who encouraged the shop to open, at least ten people have been baptised after visiting Ave Maria and striking up conversations about faith. “It is such a blessing,” he says.
For Lavinia Bozkurt, whose family runs the shop, that is precisely what Ave Maria is about.
The shop began in December 2024, initially operating from a shuttered premises. In May 2025 the family took the much bigger step of moving into its present shop in the Agora. It was a significant financial risk. “We weren’t sure,” Lavinia recalls. “I said, ‘I’m not sure I’m capable of doing this.’” But Fr Emmanuel had suggested that she open the shop, and the family felt called to take the opportunity. “God provided,” Lavinia says simply. The new shop was blessed by Fr Emmanuel, and it has since become a place where people of all ages and at every stage of faith feel welcome.
Little children walking past sometimes stop to make the Sign of the Cross. Some even kiss the glass when they see an image of Jesus. Others walk through the door with a much less certain purpose. “People come and say, ‘I’m not really sure why I am here,’” says one of Lavinia’s daughters. Sometimes that is where a conversation begins.
More than a religious shop
Ave Maria describes itself as a family-run business supplying sacramentals, baptism and First Holy Communion outfits, altar vessels and linens, priestly vestments, Bibles, religious books, cards and gifts. But its stated mission goes beyond simply selling religious goods: the family says they want to create a place where people can talk openly about faith and their relationship with God.
For Lavinia, the idea came partly from her own experience. “We struggled to find First Holy Communion gifts,” she explains. “So we thought, this is what we needed. We wanted to create a one-stop shop.”
The result is a place where a parent can find a baptismal outfit, a child can choose a rosary, a priest can find liturgical supplies and someone who has never set foot in a church can simply walk in and ask a question. There is even a regular stream of people coming for holy water. Some stop by every week to fill a bottle. Others drink it or use it to bless themselves. The shop also stocks Catholic Bibles and books by Fr Emmanuel, sometimes at prices lower than customers can find online. But the most valuable exchanges cannot be bought.
Where conversations lead
One of the most striking stories is that of Freya, who was 18 when she first walked into the shop. She left with something rather more significant than a religious article: a journey towards baptism. Freya is now Catholic, and Lavinia is her godmother.
In another story, the son of the manager of the Agora Shopping Centre was baptised following connections made through the shop.
And then there is Lavinia’s own family. Her husband, AJ, was diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly before the shop opened. He had grown up Muslim but had supported his children being brought up Catholic. Lavinia says many people who knew him did not realise that he was not Catholic. In April 2026, AJ became Catholic. For the family, it was a deeply moving moment. There is also a strong connection between the shop and the local Church. Parishioners from St Augustine’s have worked at the cancer unit in Milton Keynes where AJ received care.
For Lavinia, these stories underline something important: you never quite know what God might be doing through an ordinary conversation.
Taking Catholicism to TikTok
And Ave Maria is now taking those conversations beyond the shop. The family has embraced social media, particularly TikTok, where some of its videos have reached more than 30,000 views. It is an unexpected audience for a Catholic religious shop but that is precisely the point.
“We made the video and the next day, nothing,” Lavinia recalls. “Then after three days my phone blew up!” The response has opened up a new way of reaching people who might never think of walking into a church. For a business surrounded by the noise and activity of modern shopping life, TikTok provides another kind of high street, one where millions of people scroll past every day. And Ave Maria is putting Catholic faith in their path.
From Bletchley to Fatima
The shop’s Catholic identity is visible in the products themselves. Among the items are statues of Our Lady of Fatima, hand-packed in Fatima, as well as altar breads sourced from the sanctuary there.
The family also has a strong charitable vision. Its ultimate aim, is to use proceeds from the business to support charitable work and to build an orphanage in Nigeria. Land has already been purchased for the orphanage, the Bishop has blessed it and foundations have been laid. When complete, it is expected to provide a home for around 30 people, alongside nuns and priests. It is a reminder that Ave Maria is about more than the shop in Bletchley.
Taking the shop to the parishes
The family is also keen to take Ave Maria beyond its own doors. The business already offers pop-up shops at parishes and says it is happy to visit communities both locally and elsewhere across the Diocese. For parishes, this can provide a practical way of helping people find sacramental and devotional items while creating another opportunity for conversations about faith. And perhaps that is the most striking thing about Ave Maria. It may look like a shop. But ask Lavinia and her family what they are really doing, and the answer is much bigger. They are creating a place where a child can stop to kiss an image of Jesus, where someone can come for holy water, where a parent can find a First Holy Communion gift, where a teenager can begin a journey towards baptism and where someone who says, “I’m not really sure why I am here,” can discover that perhaps God has brought them there for a reason.
In a busy shopping centre, Ave Maria is quietly doing what the family believes it was called to do: promote faith and reach out to others in charity.
To find out more about Ave Maria Religious Supplies contact Lavinia by email here
