February 10, 2010

Cathedral chalices a treasure trove of history

By John Gleason

The chalice. For Catholics, mention the word and immediately thoughts turn to the Last Supper where Jesus instituted the Eucharist with his Apostles as they gathered for the final time.

Down through the centuries, the chalice—the vessel used at Mass to hold the consecrated wine—was as recognizable as the cross as a symbol of salvation.  In this Year for Priests, the Denver Catholic Register has been publishing a series by priests of the Archdiocese of Denver sharing the unique story about their own chalices.  Something many faithful may not know is that the archdiocese’s Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception has a fine collection of chalices it has acquired over the decades.

Deacon Charles Parker, head of the archdiocese’s Office of Liturgy, said that these chalices, which had been locked away in storage for many years, are now being returned to their former luster.

“At the Cathedral Basilica, there was an inventory of 15 chalices used by priests throughout the (123-year) history of this archdiocese,” he said.  “They included one that belonged to (pioneer) Bishop (Joseph) Machebeuf, another to former Auxiliary Bishop George Evans.  All had been safely stored in boxes, however, over the years many had become tarnished, others were in need of minor repair—in some respects, kind of forgotten.”

Today, following restoration, not only are the chalices being kept on display in the Cathedral Basilica sacristy, but they are all serving a practical purpose.

“It was decided that these vessels ought to still be used at the celebration of the Mass,” Deacon Parker said.  “For instance, we have the chalice that Pope John Paul II brought as a gift to Denver for World Youth Day (1993). It’s a beautiful chalice, a simple cup of gold with a crown of thorns at the node, where the stem meets the cup, and on the bottom is engraved his coat of arms.  We use it at many ordinations.”

John Brooks, sacristan at the Cathedral Basilica, agreed that many of these examples of archdiocesan history continue to play a vital part in the Masses at the Mother Church of the archdiocese.

“I believe that the Machebeuf chalice has always been in the care of the Cathedral Basilica,” he said.  “We use it for the special Masses honoring the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral Basilica and for the Bishop Machebeuf High School baccalaureate Mass each year.”

From later in Denver’s religious history is a silver chalice which belonged to the late Archbishop James Casey, given to him by friends and parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish in his hometown of Osage, Iowa.  He used it at his first Mass in that church in 1940.

Also in the collection is a gold chalice with a black node and a Celtic cross made of gems which belongs to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.  The chalice was given to him by the Capuchin Province of Mid-America when he was appointed archbishop of Denver in 1997 and is generally used for his Sunday night Masses at the Cathedral Basilica.

Another “crown jewel” of the collection is a silver and gold chalice adorned with precious stones and featuring angels on the stem and a spectacular diamond cross. 

“This was a gift to the archdiocese from Mrs. Catherine Morrell in 1938,” Brooks said, noting that the inscription asks for prayers for her. 

No matter what time period a particular chalice comes from and regardless of its simplicity or elegance, it remains a symbol of faith recalling that night two millennia ago when Christ lifted his cup and told his followers to “Do this in memory of me.”  But a chalice has another historical meaning. As people moved West, so did the Word of God.  Our state and our archdiocese is rich with the stories of the people who brought God’s Word here, and the fragments of history they left behind.

“These chalices represent the pastoral, liturgical life of our archdiocese,” Deacon Parker said. “And we’ll continue to use them at the Cathedral Basilica on a regular basis.”