September 30, 2009

A priest’s chalice: first priest to use cleric’s chalice was the pontiff

By Father Jeffrey Wilborn

Being the only Catholic in my family, my chalice came not from my immediate family but from my parish family.  It was a very generous gift from Father Bill Breslin and the parishioners at Queen of Peace Parish in Aurora where I joined the Catholic faith.

During my studies in Rome I searched high and low for just the right chalice.  There are so many to choose from of all different styles and tastes but nothing seemed to fit.   I ended up actually getting my chalice imported from Canada!  My chalice is a copy of one of the priest’s chalices who was on the faculty of the North American College in Rome.  It was made by Gilles Beaugrand in Montreal and really encapsulates noble simplicity for me.

The chalice is a lightly hammered solid sterling silver cup and base that have been covered in bright yellow gold plating.  The center node is a crown of thorns motif carved out of dark ebony wood—the original is carved in ivory.

Among the things that make this chalice so special to me is the person who first celebrated Mass with it—the pope!  At the North American College, there was a tradition of taking your chalice with a little note to the papal secretary (along with a lot of faith!) and we would simply hand it over to the Swiss Guard on duty and hope to see it again.  Sure enough, about two weeks after dropping it off, I received a call from the Vatican that my chalice could be picked up. 

Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass with my chalice almost 10 years ago on Dec. 5, 1999.  What an incredible blessing and, God willing, this chalice will be a second-class relic one day soon when John Paul the Great is canonized.

As I reflect on what makes my chalice so special to me today, it is undoubtedly the great sacrifice of Christ whose blood is poured out for our salvation.  All of the worries about getting just the right chalice for me seem so small now compared to the incredible gift the Lord offers back to all of us in the holy Eucharist.

Father Jeffrey Wilborn is pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Lakewood and of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Denver.