By John Eckberg
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Steve DiCarlo, owner of Authentically Catholic Books and Gifts in Covington, says sales of items relating to the motion picture The Passion of The Christ have been brisk. The Cincinnati Enquirer/GARY LANDERS

For Casey Mitchell, the owner of Emmaus Catholic Bookstore in Mason, the movie The Passion of The Christ is the right movie at the right time.

Local shoppers are flocking to religious gift shops and bookstores like hers to buy products linked to Mel Gibson's movie.

"The last book that sold as quickly as this one was the Catechism of the Catholic Church when it came out in 1994," Mitchell said.

"People want God, and the world is not offering them God. And when God is put in front of their face, they want a relationship. Rapid sales do not surprise me. I believe God was behind this project."

The movie has drawn support from Christians for its authenticity and upset some in the Jewish community for its portrayal of Jewish leaders of the day.

The swift sales pace of items linked to the movie, which opens today, led Steve DiCarlo, owner of Covington's Authentically Catholic Books and Gifts this month to put in yet another order from his distributor for the coffee table book The Passion of The Christ ($24.95: Tyndale Publishing).

Until the new shipment came in this week, DiCarlo had sold out.

"Those books are selling real well," he said. "I think it's because of the movie's pre-release build-up, which has been going on for some time."

Another benefit for religious stores may happen in a week or two.

After shoppers get the book and see the movie, DiCarlo expects many to return to buy other religious items: meditation books on Lent or crucifixes.

"Seeing it trickle over into other sales, that has been on my mind," he said.

Jo Ann Kubicki, owner of Gifts of the Spirit, a book and gift shop in Westwood, realized a buzz was building months ago from sales of Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Anne Catherine Emmerich ($18; Tan).

Gibson's movie is based, in part, upon that book.

"We had people a month ago asking to buy and read it," she said.

"I think all of this is something people have longed for a long time. I want this to be a blockbuster for (Gibson)."

DiCarlo also thinks sales of the coffee table book about the movie will last for weeks, if not months, to come.

Many shoppers do not want to spoil the movie experience by buying the book, he said.

"The question I have is: Is this going to change people and change the cultural atmosphere in this country, like some believe it will?" DiCarlo said. "Or will it be a typical pattern of a short-term reaction - and then it's gone?"

The movie raises larger questions for society as well, said Mitchell.

"We are living in an anti-Christian time, and I believe that this movie is appearing not by accident at this particular time in history," Mitchell said.

"It's time we are reminded that there is more than the stock market and the cost of housing and what we have in our bank account."

E-mail jeckberg@enquirer.com