Curia Corner: A missing piece of history

“Greg! You’ve got to see this,” yelled Phyllis Heier. She was looking at a weekly Throwback Thursday Facebook post from the diocesan archives. “I’m married into this family but as I’m reading the description on the post I knew it was his family.”

The post featured a picture of a large chalice featuring images of saints. Printed on the bottom was “Given to All Saints Parish by Mr. and Mrs. Wendelin Dosch Pius and Jerome in memory of the Dosch and Marquardt families and in grateful remembrance of the service of our former pastors, Rev. John Vogel and Rev. John Golden.” 

“I teared up instantly,” said Greg Heier. “It was emotional. I hadn’t seen or thought of that chalice in years. I forgot about it.” 

Six years ago, Fr. John Paul Trask, pastor of All Saints, Eagle Butte, was looking at old VCR inventory tapes and saw the chalice. The chalice was never found on the premises and, in an effort to locate it, he contacted the diocesan archives in hopes that it was there. It wasn’t in the archives either. 

Then in early summer of this year, a Rapid City parish contacted diocesan Archivist Kathy Cordes to look at some of the religious artifacts that they found while cleaning a closet. “They invited me to look at things they were not interested in after cleaning closets. I was surprised to see the inscription on the bottom of that chalice, so I put it in the ‘take to archives’ pile.”

Once she started investigating it, she realized it was the chalice that Fr. Trask had been looking for. 

“My grandparents, Anna and Joseph Heier, purchased it in 1970. I’m thinking they purchased it for the Mass to celebrate their  50th wedding anniversary,” Heier explained. “I remember it being used. My grandpa passed away in 1972, and I remember the chalice being used for his funeral.” 

He remembers it being used after that for Christmas and holy days but forgot about it when he left Eagle Butte. What happened to the chalice in between is still a mystery. 

“I’m very excited this chalice that commemorates the dedication of All Saints Church as well as its founding priest and a legendary 30-year pastor was found,” said Fr. Trask. 

The chalice will remain in the diocesan archives.