Antique Cased French 1st Communion Set, Leather Prayer Book, Offering Purse With Mother of Pearl Rosary Gold Plated Medal and Cross

Dating from the end of the Art Deco period this lovely set comprises a beautifully tooled and gold blocked leather bound prayer book of The Spreading of the Faith. Then a leather coin offering purse and finally a pretty mother of pearl rosary with gold plated cross and chain.

All set into a leather bound and silk and velvet lined case.

Wonderful.

Everything is in very good condition, although it has been used as there are a number of Holy Cards and bookmarks included as they were either in the card holder or in the prayer book.

This was made in around 1935 as a 1st Communion present for the child of an obviously wealthy French family whose name was Marcel Deleligne and had his first communion in the Church of Saint Rictude of Marchiennes in the north of France. The souvenir card printed for the service is still in the prayer book.

Marcel went on to become a teacher but not just any teacher, he was a Knight of The Academic Palms. The Ordre des Palmes académiques (French for 'Order of Academic Palms') is a national order bestowed by the French Republic on distinguished academics and teachers and for valuable service to universities, education and science. Originally established in 1808 by Emperor Napoleon as a decoration to honour eminent members of the University of Paris, it was changed into its current form as an order of merit on 4 October 1955 by President René Coty, making it one of the oldest civil honours bestowed by the French Republic.

He also held the Bronze medal for voluntary services to youth and sport in France.

Marcel served his country in the French Foreign Legion during the wars in Indochina from 1946-1954 and was a holder of The Far East Cross (Croix du combattant Extrême-Orient)

He died in 2012 at Marchiennes where he was born.

Each page of the missel is illustrated and the edges of the pages are gilded.