Chalices: Preservation and Renewal

Today, we delve into a matter of great significance for most parishes — the care of our cherished liturgical chalices.

Most often, both young and established parishes opt for liturgical sets crafted from brass, primarily due to budget constraints. While brass is typically coated to protect it from oxidation, the ravages of time and various factors inevitably take their toll.

The chalice is often the first to show signs of wear, with scratches marring its interior, creating an unattractive surface that does not befit the profound Sacrament it serves. Furthermore, open brass can react more actively with wine, occasionally causing discomfort for the priests who consume the Gifts from a damaged chalice.

While this problem is not new, producers have made efforts to address it. For instance, Sofrino (the main supplier of church utensils in Russia and Belarus) ceased the production of pure brass bowls several years ago, opting instead for special cup inserts made of melchior (aka cupronickel, "German silver") or stainless steel. However, even these alternatives have their imperfections — melchior can become tainted with dark stains, and stainless steel may occasionally develop pitting corrosion.

So, what can be done, and what insights can we glean for the future?

A stainless steel chalice.
Pitting corrosion can be observed on the right in the enlarged section.

Why does the surface deteriorate?

We must acknowledge that wine is not a neutral medium, and the natural wear and tear cannot be entirely eliminated. Additionally, manufacturers of liturgical utensils may not always prioritize longevity over profit.

However, what we can do is take steps to minimize the micro-impacts that occur when the communion spoon makes contact with the chalice's walls. Sometimes, priests attempt to prevent crumbs on the antimension by refraining from breaking the Lamb within the chalice before offering Communion to the congregation. Depending on the recipe and ingredients, the Lamb can be rather dense, leading to significant impacts when crushed with a spoon inside the chalice.

At times, insufficient wine is added during the proskomidia, causing the Gifts to settle low in the chalice, resulting in the spoon scraping against the bottom and walls with each use. Therefore, if you hold the chalice dear, consider breaking the Lamb outside of it and ensure a generous pour of wine.

Damages on a brass chalice

Recoating the Chalice

If you have a pure brass vessel, it is clearly not worth renewing the inner coating (unless you use it very infrequently for liturgy). Practice shows that the coating does not last long. It is almost impossible to make the damaged walls as smooth and even as they were originally. The new coating always has micro-defects and the corrosion process quickly resumes.

On the other hand, it is not easy to find workshops capable of doing this work, and the price of the service can be quite high.

The renewal of the coating may be relevant for diskos, since they rarely come into contact with blood (preparation of the Presanctified Gifts) and the coating lasts for a long time.

Speaking of chalices with inserts, we have the following experience in our monastery. The Melchior inlay that we once had repainted to cover the dark spots has lasted long enough and still looks good - the walls are in good condition and the material of the inlay itself resists corrosion well.

However, this chalice is only used once a week. Stainless steel inserts do not need to be coated - it will not help the pitting whilst the rest of the inner surface looks good.

Melchior chalice restored at Convent's workshop

Replacement Inserts and Chalice Tops

There are known cases of priests ordering silver or even medical glass inserts. However, it is not easy to find a professional capable of doing such work at a price that justifies such a solution. If you are lucky enough to find one, it is important that the edge of the insert covers the edge of the original chalice, while the joint between them should be carefully inspected during use - there may be particles of the gifts left there. If the insert is heavy, it is useful to add some weight to the base of the chalice.

There are also reports of people buying a replacement for the top of the vessel. The only problem with this is that even the most economical option is not much different in cost from a new chalice. Another problem is that the colour of the coating on the base of the old chalice will be different to that of the new top. All of this makes buying a new chalice a viable alternative.

Jewellery factories offer replacement tops made of silver. They cost almost as much as three ordinary vessels, but are still much cheaper than a new silver chalice. In this case, supply creates demand.

Replacement chalice tops are available at online stores

Disposal

This is the difficult part. Church rules (73rd Apostolic and 10th of the Protodeutera council) forbid the conversion of sacred objects for ordinary use. Unlike silver, brass vessels cannot be recycled to make new ones. It is also problematic, if not impossible, to dispose of them without the risk of subsequent desecration.

The best option would probably be to put the old vessel in a case or box and keep it in a safe place until the Lord shows you what to do. Perhaps there is a parish which, because of limited resources, could use an old chalice temporarily. There may be an opportunity to restore it inexpensively.

Sometimes a parish may need an extra chalice. On major feast days, when there are large numbers of communicants and a second priest, two chalices may be prepared and used for Communion. When preparing reserve Gifts, some of the Blood is separated into another chalice. The same can be done in the case of a large number of particles taken out at the proskomidia, so that there is enough blood to immerse all the particles.

Finally, if you have the opportunity to buy a silver vessel, use it. Depending on the quality, it may have minor imperfections, but it will last for generations.

The Silver Chalice. It was given as a gift to the monastery several years ago.

So, our main conclusions on the topic are:

✅ Our preference is still for chalices made of stainless steel, although they do have their drawbacks.

☑️ If desired, considering a chalice made of melchior is an option. However, be prepared for the melchior surface to eventually develop stains.

❌ We do not recommend chalices made of brass.

☑️ Follow the recommendations in the article to minimize damage to the chalice.

☑️ Consider the fact that the chalice should serve for as long as possible. We have found that options for restoration, as well as replacement inserts and chalice tops, are often not suitable due to either price or quality.

☑️ The chalice should not be disposed of. Therefore, either constantly use it as a second vessel during the liturgy, give it to a poor parish, or store it in a secure place.

✅ If the budget allows or if there are people willing to make an expensive gift to the church, the best option is a silver chalice.

We hope you have learned something useful today. Until next time, and may God Almighty bless you!