We visited today after wanting to try your store for quite some time. In the past, we were unable to come because you were closed. We live far away but we made a point to plan ahead and arrived with 10 minutes to spare before closing, knowing we would need to be quick. There was lots i was interested in. Unfortunately, upon arrival, we were immediately met with a curt response and told, "just so you know, we close in 10 minutes." After driving a long distance specifically for your store this was disappointing and unwelcoming. We completely understand and respect closing times and would never expect to stay past them or hold up staff. However, the tone of the interaction made us feel like an inconvenience rather than guests. Because of this experience, we won't be returning. I hope you take this feedback into consideration for future customers. We will just order online. read more

As for religious book stores, I've never come across a Catholic themed one in indy, so this place is my go to for any Catholic themed need or gift, they have a great selection on options to pick from! The staff is also very friendly, check them out if you have the chance! read more

The Village Dove is a Catholic books and gift store located on Lake Plaza Drive at 71st and Binford Drive on Indy's Northeast side. Truthfully, I thought I had reviewed The Village Dove before and was surprised when it popped up as a suggested review. I've only been here a couple of times - not because I wouldn't like to come here, but the hours here just have never worked well with my schedule. However, today I found myself running errands in the area and decided to make this one of my stops. I arrived about 30 minutes prior to their 4pm closing on a Saturday. This is located right next to El Meson in a fairly lengthy strip center that also includes George's Neighborhood Grill, Tuesday Morning, and a few other spots. There's also La Hacienda in the parking lot and both a Starbucks and an ice cream shop in the parking lot. Basically, I could probably live here. This is an older strip center, though it's pretty accessible with curb cuts along the sidewalk every 3 stores or so. The curb cuts are ADA compliant. The only store on the block that had automatic doors was the Uncle Bill's, though it moved out a few months ago. The Village Dove has a single-sided glass door that is pretty light. This is a relatively small shop, though it's warm and inviting. As noted, it is devoted to Catholicism and it includes a wide variety of gifts, home goods, books, some music, an awful lot of crosses, medallions, items for sacraments, and occasionally some miscellaneous items including foods from regional monasteries, etc. On this particular visit, the food/snack selection was pretty light. The store itself is surprisingly accessible. The floor plan leaves a lot of space for a wheelchair user and I had very little trouble getting around it other than one slight bump of a table. The employee working was an older male who had been in the back working when I arrived and for the most part stayed up front once I did. I think he returned to the back once - likely to get ready as I was there pretty close to their closing. While nearly everything in the store is connected to Catholicism, there's always some crossover. I'm not Catholic and always find myself enjoying my time in the store. I love the cross selection and the book selection. There's a kid's corner and quite a few home/wall type items toward the front. I saw one wall hanging with the scripture Micah 6:8 on it (the scripture with which I most connect) and I nearly bought it. I was hoping they'd have something else with it, however, I asked and they did not. The employee was friendly and conversational in a casual way. He enjoyed my story about how I'd had a break-in and they had ransacked the back of my house, however, they left the front of my house (which had crosses all around it) untouched. I nearly bought a new cross, but held off on this visit and actually ended up not buying anything. He was quite friendly even when I noted I didn't see anything today and he welcomed me back. I do believe this shop was closed for a bit during the pandemic. Their website indicates "they are back." I'm not quite sure when they came back. I was the only customer during my visit, though I have seen others before. Prices vary and it's easy to find items for those on a budget and it's also pretty easy to spend a fair amount. The Village Dove offers free shipping for over $50 and the website has a 10% discount for new customers. For those who are Catholic, this fairly easy to miss store is easily worth a visit. I think most people of other faiths would feel welcome here, though I did see at least one book referencing how to argue for Catholic beliefs. I've never encountered an unfriendly employee here and I'll easily return when the schedule allows. The cross selection alone dazzles me and the occasional knick-knack item I find makes this worth a stop. I'm not sure I'd call this a 5-star shop, though it's easily a 4-stop shop with good selection, fair pricing, friendly employees, and a fairly wheelchair friendly atmosphere. I'm fairly sure that even larger motorized chairs could get around The Village Dove. read more

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