About

Creator Mundi USA shows the way to Catholic & Christian symbols of faith including bronze crosses, crucifixes, statuettes, figurines, Patron Saint plaques, and nativities from Germany. Creator Mundi USA is the official and exclusive North American Sales Representative for the Benedictine Abbey of Maria Laach and Butzon & Bercker, both in Germany.

Creator Mundi began with a small shard of fine china discovered by a young child, Hildegard Letbetter, in the bombed-out rubble of her hometown of Cologne, Germany. This small piece of beauty in the midst of the horror and ugliness of war’s aftermath became the leitmotif of Hildegard’s search for beauty in our broken and suffering world, and her encounter with Absolute Beauty which we name “God”. Hildegard treasured the Christian gift items and articles of religious devotion of her Catholic childhood and remembered these beautiful gift items when she moved to the U.S. in the 1970’s. She continued to bring them over again and again from Germany to her family and friends in Littleton, Colorado, where they enjoyed a reception which soon reached far beyond the boundaries of Colorado and even of the United States. 

These bronze pieces stood out as truly distinctive and sacred in a plastic ocean of gift items of religious kitsch, mostly made in sweatshops in China. She realized she wanted to give others an alternative to plastic and cheap metal crosses and have the Catholic and Christian faith tradition be represented and celebrated by quality and noble materials. She decided to gather sacred art that is handcrafted by artists who share and are devoted to the Catholic and Christian faith, are justly compensated for their labor and who work in a safe and healthy environment. Creator Mundi helps these artists and communities reach a wider audience by promoting their powerful symbols of faith.

Creator Mundi is Latin for Creator of the world. By using Latin – the liturgical language of the Roman Catholic Church for over 1,500 years – Creator Mundi is affirming its rootedness in Catholic faith and sacramental sensibility. However, while rooted in the Catholic tradition, Creator Mundi is fundamentally and intentionally ecumenical. “Ecumenical” — derived from the Greek οἰκουμένη (oikoumene) — refers to the “entire inhabited world” (hence the “mundi” in Creator Mundi). Creator Mundi honors all faith traditions with its primary focus on the many denominations that make up the rainbow spectrum which is Christianity in North America today. The Creator Mundi logo highlights the silhouette of two spires rising up in the middle of its name. 

This image calls to mind the two majestic spires that adorn the magnificent Cathedral of Cologne, Germany, the city where Hildegard Letbetter (the founder and owner of Creator Mundi) was born and raised. The name distinctive sacred art and gifts succinctly embodies what Creator Mundi offers: uniquely distinctive sacred art of heirloom-quality for the home, hospital, school and church, as well as exceptional, heirloom-quality gifts composed of noble materials and suitable for every occasion, season, recipient, and sacramental celebration. Hence the motto of Creator Mundi: Quality is indeed always the best value!