So, what about that statue of St. Francis on the mantle?

The church goods market isn't huge, and there's no real motivation to source clerical shirts or altar cloths from the cheapest possible factory, said Pierrette Bastien, president of Liturgica, a religious goods store in Ottawa and online.

"It's not where somebody would go to make money out of cheap labour," she said.

This is particularly true for more expensive items, where the buyers are parishes rather than individuals furnishing their homes, said Bastien.

But when it comes to the home statuary market you can't be so sure, said Felix Santiago, store manager for Claude Le Gros Inc. in Toronto. Santiago says there's a flood of statuary and metal ware (chalices, patens, etc.) coming onto the Canadian market from China.

"We refuse to sell anything that comes out of China," said Santiago.

Unlike the long-established family businesses in Europe and North America where Claude Le Gros has traditionally sourced statues and chalices, Santiago feels he doesn't know enough about how Chinese goods are manufactured.

"You don't know the conditions under which it was manufactured," he said.

Santiago also objects to doing business with a nation with a questionable human rights record and a history of jailing outspoken clergy.

When it comes to statues for churches, Broughton's Church Supplies won't stock the Chinese products simply because they aren't good enough, said company president Brian Broughton.

"We wouldn't get involved with bringing them in from the Orient — let's say China, Japan, the Philippines, spots like that," Broughton said. "We just don't find that the quality is there."

But when it comes to statues for the home, the quality issue actually tips the equation in favour of Chinese-made products.

"In some of the smaller, household statues that might be three, five, eight inches, 12 inches high, there's no doubt that the bulk of it does come from Asia strictly because of the price point," Broughton said. "What was being produced here in Canada in years gone by, oh it was gaudy plaster of paris. It looked like St. Jude was wearing lipstick. We just did away with that. Asia could produce at more reasonable prices good quality product."

Clerical garb and liturgical vestments for sale in Canada are manufactured almost exclusively in North America and Europe. The industry is small and characterized by long-term relationships and family businesses, and that means retailers can be sure they're selling ethically manufactured goods, said Santiago.

"We only deal with reputable sources — people whom we know who they are, where they are, how they operate," Santiago said.

It's basically a question of numbers. Sweatshops only pay off in mass markets, and the market for size 15-and-a-half, black, short sleeve, roman collar shirts just isn't that large, said Broughton.

"It's not like clergy shirts are done in a sweatshop. It just doesn't happen. It's a very selective market," he said.

Which doesn't mean the issue doesn't come up. Customers at Broughton's store in Toronto's east end do ask where things come from and how they're made.

"From time to time we do have people who come in who are concerned," Broughton said.

One of the checks on the supply of religious goods is the National Catholic Church Goods Dealers Association, a U.S.-based industry association which does look into the factories and workshops.

"We're pretty conscious of who, supplier-wise, we allow in the group," Broughton said.

Ultimately, there's nothing that makes a statue or religious medal purchased as a confirmation or wedding gift any different from other goods which have to be made in factories and distributed world wide, said Bastien.

"I don't know who works in these factories, but it would be similar to any other product sold in non-religious conditions — anything you would buy in Wal-Mart or Zellers. How they're done? I'm not sure," she said.