St. John Paul II High School selling Hummel collection to support endowment

When Kathleen Cullinan learned about the need to find an online market for a collection of donated Hummel figurines, lamps, candy dishes, bells and clocks, she volunteered to organize their sale. With the help of her granddaughter and St. John Paul II High School freshman, Jazzlyn Silva, they worked together for more than 50 hours, carefully cleaning and preparing the Hummels for sale.

Most of the collection came from the estate of a family who had befriended Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody when he was a young priest, and they were to be used as a gift to support Catholic education. Cullinan was the perfect candidate for taking the reins on this project; she has a special interest in Hummel figurines and collected them for many years. She also has experience selling antiques and collectibles online.

Kathleen and Jazzlyn obtained volunteer service hours for the school and were able to experience quality time together in service to Catholic education. They researched values, photographed, and created an online store on Etsy.

M.I. Hummel figurines are made of porcelain, and based on the drawings of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, O.S.F. Goebel produced the first series of figurines in 1935 and gained popularity in the U.S. after World War II.

Many are rare and early trademarked pieces. The collection also includes a complete series of 30 Christmas plates. Because of the specialized nature of this collection, it has been placed for sale online to reach a broader market.

All proceeds from the sale will support the Saint John Paul II Endowment, which provides tuition assistance to students.

To view the collection online, visit HummelCollectionShop on Etsy.com or email [email protected]. To donate to St. John Paul II or the Diocese of Corpus Christi, contact the Office of Stewardship at Development at (361) 693-6658.

Photos by Karen Silva | for STC