Chalice thrown in lake in 1653 centrepiece of Mass

A CHALICE dumped into a lake when Cromwellian forces swooped on an open-air Mass 350 years ago, killing a priest, is to be the centrepiece of a Christmas morning homily.

Up to 300 people are expected to attend the special anniversary Mass in Co Wexford for the murdered priest.

The parish priest in the area yesterday says it was nothing short of a miracle that the chalice used by Fr Nicholas Meyler before he was murdered in 1653 survives to this day.

Fr Danny McDonald, who will be saying the Mass, says: “It means so much to people here that we can commemorate with dignity the loss of Fr Meyler. A few months ago, a delegation from Cromwell’s home town in England, Huntington, travelled to Wexford to apologise for what had happened in 1653.

Fr Meyler had started saying Mass in a field near the village of Tomhaggard when soldiers attacked.

Fr Meyler shouted for the chalice to be saved before he was shot.

A local woman, Mrs Lambert, picked up the small chalice, wrapped it in her apron and threw it in a shallow lake. A few days later, when the soldiers had left, she retrieved it and gave it to the Meyler family. They in turn returned it to the parish and it has been kept in safe keeping ever since.