Tucked in downtown Kennewick, a store focused exclusively on Catholic gifts, books and Bibles has packed 11,000 items into about 2,000 square feet.

Filled with religious statues, mugs, missals, jewelry, baptismal gowns, liturgical calendars, art and even saint socks, owner Damien Essex said about half of his sales come from books and the other half from gifts.

Essex opened Blessed on First a decade ago at 120 W. First Ave. and has been the sole proprietor and employee in that time. He returned to his roots in Catholicism as an adult.

“I guess I’m what they call a ‘revert’ these days, and when I was coming back to the faith, I was reading a lot,” Essex said. “I think I bought about 100 books in three years.” In prayer groups, he said other Catholics talked about how it would be great to have a Catholic store in the Tri-Cities again since the last one had closed years earlier.

After a longtime career in IT, Essex said he felt called to be the one to do it, though he knew it was a “gamble.”

“More Catholic stores were closing each day instead of opening, and Washington and Oregon are some of the most unchurched states in the nation,” Essex said. The term describes low religious affiliation and church attendance.

Building, business for sale

Built on faith and a devoted following, Blessed on First and the building it’s in, are now up for sale, in a listing held by Stricker CRE.

Essex has quadrupled the floor space and inventory since opening in 2014. It’s now his intention to sell the store and its entire contents for a listing price of $200,000.

The building is listed at $435,000.

Essex described the decision as bittersweet. He said the shop is “running on all cylinders,” but he’s ready to pass it on to new ownership.

“The store takes about 50 hours a week for one person to run,” said Essex, who originally had to keep an IT job while working to make the store profitable. He said a change in operating hours, now 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, led to sales nearly doubling after a few years of struggle. Now, he said it’s the go-to spot for a range of religious gifts and books with a purely Catholic focus.

“I literally have hundreds of rosaries; finger rosaries, rosary bracelets, 20-decade rosaries, family rosaries, glow-in-the-dark rosaries, kids’ rosaries, rosaries for teens,” he said. “If you come in and ask for 100 of a book, I’m not going to have it. But I like to think of the store as an inch deep and a mile wide.”

The Essexes speak Spanish and make it a point to serve the Spanish-speaking community and carry Bibles in about half-a-dozen translations. With Christmas around the corner, the shop prominently displays many Advent and Christmas offerings, including wreaths, books and other gifts.

Essex can special-order items and does so frequently. “The reality is, 95% of what I sell is available online, but, here, you can see it, touch it, and you don’t have to pay for shipping,” he said.

“He has the best price on cards,” said his wife, Sierra. She’s been a longtime customer, beginning with when her husband first opened the store and sold high-quality uniforms intended for students attending local Catholic schools.

Owner Damien Essex, right, opened Blessed on First a decade ago at 120 W. First Ave. and has been the sole proprietor and employee in that time. At left is his wife, Sierra.

| Photo by Robin Wojtanik

Newly married

While Damien Essex said stocking clothes was his “biggest mistake,” as far as business decisions go – the markup is too great – it helped familiarize Sierra with the store and reacquaint her with her future husband, whom she had attended Gonzaga University with.

Blessed on First no longer carries uniforms but for a good portion of the year it has tables filled with items popular for those making sacraments in the Catholic church, including baptism, first communion, confirmation and holy matrimony.

Newly married, the couple, who are parishioners at Christ the King in Richland, are hoping to relocate to the Oregon coast. Humid air is better for their health overall, but they want to stay in the Northwest to remain close to family. They hope to find a buyer to keep the store going with the same love for the faith, combined with care for the customer base.

“I think one of the reasons he’s been successful is because he’s a great listener,” his wife said. “He’s great at making conversation and very knowledgeable about what he has in the store. He often ends up being someone people will come to with their problems. He finds them a book that will help and he’s very discreet and doesn’t share anybody’s business.”

Damien Essex said he chose downtown Kennewick a decade ago for its “vibe” and various storefronts. Blessed on First relies only on street parking out front but is across from a downtown mainstay, Basin Department Store.

“People who want to seek us out and shop here know that we’re here,” he said.

Blessed on First is open extended hours until 7 p.m. starting Dec. 17 until Christmas Eve for holiday shopping needs. Regular hours are 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

Go to: Blessedonfirst.com.