St. Brigid Roman Catholic Church
The St. Brigid Chalice
~ donated to St. Brigid Parish by Subhuti Dharmananda
The Chalice Images
There are four panels on the Chalice of St. Brigid. One represents the bonfire celebration that was adopted from the earlier pagan practices. St. Brigid, her arms outstretched in the Orans (as in the images seen in the Catacombs of Rome), is leading the prayer of the nuns under her tutelage (there were said to be about 20 of them).
Left: a drawing of the nuns gathered around the bonfire.
Right: the location where St. Brigid's fire was kept lit after her death.
The next panel shows St. Brigid in front of the monastery she founded in Kildare. As the fire is her constant companion, flames are seen above her head, reflecting back to the flames of the Holy Spirit as often picture accompanying St. Jude. A perpetual fire burned at the Monastery in honor of St. Brigid after her death. In Ireland, she is also associated with care of animals, particularly the ox, boar, and ram, and she is pictured here with a contented ox.
The next panel depicts the famous scene of St. Brigid explaining Christianity to a dying pagan king, making a Cross from reeds that were growing nearby. The king converted to Christianity as a result of her efforts. The form of her woven depiction of the crucifixion has become a ubiquitous image in Ireland and the unique pattern is called St. Brigid's Cross.
The remaining panel depicts a story of Brigid curing a blind nun. "One evening, as the sun went down, Brigid sat with Sister Dara, a holy nun who was blind, and they talked of the love of Jesus Christ and the joys of Paradise... Then the sun came up from behind the
Wicklow Mountains, and the pure white light made the face of earth bright and gay. Then Brigid sighed when she saw how lovely the earth and sky, and knew that Dara's eyes were closed to all this beauty. So Brigid prayed to God, and then touched the sightless eyes of Sister Dara. Dara was cured, and was able to look at the sun, the trees and flowers glittering with dew in the morning light. Sister Dara looked on for a while, charmed by the vision. But then she turned to the abbess and said, 'Close my eyes again, dear Mother, for when the world is so visible to the eyes, God is seen less clearly to the soul.' The saint understood. So she prayed to God once more, and Dara's eyes grew dark again."
The Chalice Manufacturer
The St. Brigid Chalice is made by Mullingar Pewter in Mullingar, Ireland. The early history of pewter in Ireland goes back at least 800 years. The pewters of that era produced the first utensils for domestic use, consisting mainly of tankards, plates and candlesticks. Around the 12th Century, pewter was only within the reach of the wealthy, where it was to be found on the tables of castle halls and in the houses of rich merchants and churchmen. Later its use spread into taverns and cottages. With the introduction of pottery and glass, its use declined during the 18th and 19th centuries, but it has seen a more recent revival, being used in place of silver.About the only thing that has changed in pewter manufacture over the centuries is the composition of materials. Originally pewter was made from a composition of lead and tin. Today, the raw materials consist of 95% tin with the balance made up of copper and antimony. The products are guaranteed lead-free and are quite safe to be used for all kinds of food and drink.
This ancient craft of pewter making was revived by Mullingar Pewter in 1974. Most of the pieces are still made in the traditional way by Irish men and women, specially trained in the old casting methods, meticulous assembly and delicate hand finishing. These skills take years to acquire.
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