A Christmas Present from Father Nicholas

Original Chalice commissioned by Monsignor Jennings and re-plated by Father Nicholas.

When Monsignor Jennings built the Church for Saint Pius X, he had a chalice made for the parish to worship God in their new Church. When I arrived as the new pastor of Saint Pius X, I opened the safe and began to use a chalice that I found inside. It was not a particularly nice chalice, but was beautiful in shape and design. I could tell it was an older chalice that had seen a lot of use. It was bent out of shape, the cup was riddled with dents, and it was so badly tarnished that it was almost brown in color. In other words, it had been used well in the worship of God. As we were going through photo albums and memories many of you had in the parish, I realized that the chalice I had been using was, in fact, the very same that Monsignor Joe Jennings had commissioned for his newly built Church in the late 1960s.

I knew that I wanted to continue to use the Chalice for the significance of using the Parish’s original chalice and I was acutely aware that this chalice had to be refurbished, fixed, polished, and re-plated, but I did not know how to go about doing so. I knew that it would be a very expensive project, and we already had so much happening and money being raised to pay off debt.

This past Lent, my Uncle Bubba (who is neither my uncle nor named Bubba), Greg Raymond, came to lead our Parish Mission for Lent. After the mission was concluded we were standing in the sacristy with my parents looking at my personal chalice that he had redone for my ordination. He did an incredible job with mine.

So I decided to ask him if he would do one for the parish. He was more than happy to oblige. I handed him the Chalice from Monsignor Jennings and asked if he could have it done. He said it could take about a year. I received the Chalice back from him on Thanksgiving day this year. It is stunning! I had planned to pay for the refurbishing as my gift to you for Christmas, but he surprised me by not letting me pay. I am so grateful to Uncle Bubba for this gift. I am so happy to see the Monsignor Jennings chalice restored. I am so grateful that we will be able to lift this Chalice up on Christmas this year.

The Chalice will be set out in the Sanctuary this weekend for Gaudete Sunday for you to get a close look at, and will be consecrated at the 10:30 am Mass as well. Merry Christmas Saint Pius X Parishioners!