Meliora store launched in Georgetown, offering sacred items, books, gifts, and more
By Claire Collins
A new Catholic bookstore has opened in Georgetown near Chattanooga. Meliora, founded by Sandy Hartert-Forshee and her daughter, Angela Cowan, wants to provide the Diocese of Knoxville with beautiful sacred items, books, gifts, and Catholic goods.
“I own the building. This is why it’s out in the country in this really rural area. And a lot of people’s feedback on that is, ‘Oh, I love the drive. It’s beautiful!’ So, I think no matter where I’m at, people would come because there’s such a need.”
Mrs. Hartert-Forshee felt a stirring in her heart for a Catholic bookstore in her area. She had been working at a Christian bookstore in Cleveland after years of working in the areas of ministry and banking, but the only Catholic items available at the store were a Bible and a rosary.
That’s when she got the idea for a store on her very own property.
“I bought this land in 2002 and at that point, you know, it was a place to live, and it had all these buildings. And so many times I thought, ‘There’s something I should be doing with this.’ I really wasn’t quite sure what it was.”
Special delivery Sandy Hartert-Forshee and her daughter, Angela Cowan, make a delivery of Catholic supplies to a Diocese of Knoxville parish. (Photo Bill Brewer)
She continued using the buildings for storage, all the while discerning their potential.
“At one point, I actually thought, maybe a retreat center because I was doing youth ministry at St. Thérèse and, you know, we’d have to pay so much to go to a retreat center, to go rent places out for the kids to do training, leadership training, stuff like that. So, I had thought about that, but it was about that same time that (the diocese) got the property for Christ Prince of Peace. And so that was kind of like, OK, God’s saying, ‘That’s not what you’re supposed to do,’” Mrs. Hartert-Forshee said, referring to St. Thérèse of Lisieux Parish in Cleveland and Christ Prince of Peace Retreat Center in Benton.
Then in January 2024, after much discernment and prayer, Mrs. Hartert-Forshee decided it was time to go for it and open a Catholic bookstore.
“I had my resale license for the store and was just doing a few things here and there for some of the local parishes and catechists,” she recounted. “And we really didn’t know for sure if it was going to happen, but we felt like it was God’s hand in it and that we were supposed to do this. So, I went ahead and got the retail license and everything and started making plans. But it took me until the end of August 2024 to get the zoning.”
“We were proceeding on,” she continued, “except we just didn’t really feel like we could start knocking holes in the walls and making doorways and things like that that we needed to do in these buildings until August. So, from August to October, it was a huge family, you know, ‘let’s get this done’ kind of thing. My kids and my husband—we’ve all worked on it. The walls are concrete blocks, and we had to put in doors and do all sorts of digging and concrete-pouring and all sorts of things.”
During many moments, Mrs. Hartert-Forshee could see God’s grace at work. One of those moments came in June 2024.
“In June, I saw on Facebook, and we had no idea this was happening, so I know that God is in this, totally. We saw that The Paraclete was going to be closing.”
The Paraclete Catholic book and gift store operated in Knoxville for 37 years and since 1990 at a building owned by the diocese at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus before closing on July 3, 2024.
While she had no idea when her dreams for Meliora began that The Paraclete would be closing, Mrs. Hartert-Forshee was able to help give many of the items being sold at The Paraclete a new home in her store.
Her daughter, Angela, who has been instrumental in the efforts toward opening Meliora, saw God’s hand so clearly in this time.
“My mom and I knew there was a need for a Catholic bookstore,” Mrs. Cowan said. “I was really thankful that The Paraclete was willing to help us with their leftover shelving and products. It was amazing to see everything come together!”
Meliora also was able to take over some of the operations previously taken care of by The Paraclete.
Meliora has a little bit of everything, from books and sacramental items to goods, coffee, and children’s items.
Books have been a surprisingly popular item at the store.
In conversation Sandy Hartert-Forshee talks about her new Meliora store in Georgetown. (Photo Dan McWilliams)
“I was told, you know, books are not the main thing, the bookstores are going out of business because you can’t compete with Amazon. But I do sell a lot of books. I just really go for the ones that speak to me, and I’ve always been that way about books. I go and stand in front of a bookshelf and, you know, just, ‘OK, what is it I’m supposed to buy?’ It’s kind of a spiritual thing. I want to be able to do that here and have enough books and feel that people could come and do that here, too,” Mrs. Hartert-Forshee said.
“We’ve got statues, we’ve got crucifixes, candles, medals, necklaces. We’ve got them in sterling silver, and then we’ve got the little oxidized medals. So, we’ve got really a wide variety, plus I’ve really stepped it up on the church-supply end of it, being able to provide candles and liturgical things,” she added.
Mrs. Hartert-Forshee also has access to several companies to be able to provide liturgical and specialty items.
Mrs. Cowan has been excited to see churches coming to them for many commonly used items.
“I’m excited that we have had so many orders for candles, Communion hosts, and palm branches,” she said. “I’m thankful for all of the churches that have helped support us!” Mrs. Cowan said.
“Service is our passion. That was one of the things that just kind of came out whenever I started,” Mrs. Hartert-Forshee noted. “And I mean, it really is. I want to be here to help people, you know, to get what they want, to get what they need. If there’s something I don’t have, I’ll order it for them or I’ll find a way for them to get it.”
In addition, the store also carries items appropriate for the many occasions experienced in the life of faith, from baptisms and first Communions, weddings and anniversaries, to bereavement.
Mrs. Hartert-Forshee also wants to provide catechists with needed items for their classrooms and educational programs, inspired by her many years working in religious education.
While there have been many graces for Mrs. Hartert-Forshee in her experience of opening the store, she said one grace really seems to stand out.
“The thing I love the most is the new Catholics who are coming in, the ones who are going through OCIA. They’re so excited and have such a joy about them and excitement about what they’re looking at and what they’re learning, and it’s just such a blessing to be a part of it.”
She also said it has meant so much for her to be able to manage a small business with her daughter, who has done so much for her, from stocking inventory and setting up buildings to getting the system in place for the store to run.
“I have plenty of room to expand,” Mrs. Hartert- Forshee continued. “To expand in large ways someday, you know, like, all in God’s time and whatever He wants to do. I have that room. I have the space to do that. And so, I’m really excited about whatever possibilities God has for us.”
You can visit the Meliora store at 3580 Brittsville Road in Georgetown, TN 37336, or visit the website at Melioracatholic.com.