OAK RIDGE — Eighteen years ago, artist Peter Strafaci took a trip to the Provence region of France to visit his daughter Christina, who was volunteering in a L'Arche community in Gordes. He had no idea at the time that this trip and a book he would read some years later would inspire a unique exhibition of handmade chalices.
Strafaci, who spent two days with his daughter at the L'Arche community, which ministers to physically and mentally challenged men and women of all ages, came away from the experience with a better understanding of the value of each person created in the image and likeness of God.
"Though my visit was brief, I learned that each resident, despite their physical and mental disabilities, had a purpose to live life to its fullest," Strafaci says. "That purpose was manifested in their nightly community gatherings, at dinnertime, birthday celebrations and when they went to work in the neighboring town making communion hosts for the local churches."
Shortly after his return, Strafaci picked up the novel "Can You Drink The Cup?" by Father Henri J.M. Nouwen. Before his untimely death in 1996, Father Nouwen spent a decade living and ministering at the L'Arche Daybreak community in Toronto, Canada. "Can You Drink the Cup?" was the last of 39 books published by him, and it reflects on his personal encounters with the Daybreak residents and the chalice as a symbol of Christian discipleship. The title comes from the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus questions the sons of Zebedee: "Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?" (Mt. 20, 20-23).
Pictured: Artist Peter Strafaci spent 10 months creating clay chalices for his "One Hundred Chalices" exhibit. (Photo provided by Peter Strafaci)
"It was this personal encounter, along with my own at Gordes, that has remained with me and was only brought to a conscious level again in the fall of 2013," Strafaci explains.
He had a conversation with a couple that tried unsuccessfully to have a chalice made by a potter, so he told them he would take up the task to make a few and let them know when they were completed. The chalices were ready a few weeks later and when the couple came to Strafaci's studio, they loved them and purchased one.
He decided then to take on the challenge of completing 100 chalices.
"Each time I set out to make a chalice, instead of making one, I would make 12 to 13 at a time," Strafaci recalls. "During the first sitting at my wheel, I would make the cup portion of the chalice first. During the second sitting at my wheel, the stem of the chalice would be made. At a third sitting, but not at the wheel, the cup and stem would be joined together."
He estimates it took at least 40 minutes to create each chalice on the potter's wheel and additional time to glaze each one before firing it in the kiln. He completed all 100 chalices in 10 months.
"As I sat at my potter's wheel, each chalice became a challenge as if I was creating something new for the first time. As the chalices grew in number, each one different from the last and different from the last 25, 50 or 75, I began to see that my work went beyond the physical challenge of making each chalice.
"I saw that each one began to have their own personality, their own sacredness, their own voice – just as Christ sees us.
"Likewise, I began to once again connect with Nouwen's personal story and my personal encounter with nine residents in Gordes. What I saw in each new chalice, Nouwen also saw in the residents at Daybreak."
Strafaci says the more he saw the connections between Nouwen's book title and the creation of the chalices, the more he came to believe there was something beyond what he was experiencing.
"That 'something' was the realization that I needed to share both the meaning behind Nouwen's book title and the works being formed on my wheel," he says. "Five months into the creation of the chalices, the idea of a traveling exhibit and a written talk was born."
Strafaci is looking forward to sharing the chalices and his experiences with people around the diocese. To date, he has three confirmed locations for the free exhibit and talk. He will visit Holy Cross Church in Kernersville from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18; St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro on Oct. 28; and All Saints Episcopal Church next February.
Strafaci looks to Nouwen's writings as he contemplates daily living and uses some of these writings in his talk that accompanies the exhibit.
"Can we embrace fully the sorrows and joys that come to us day after day?" he asks. "At one moment it might seem so easy to drink the cup, and we give a quick 'yes' to Jesus' question. Shortly afterwards everything might look and feel quite different, and our whole being might cry out, 'No, never!'
"We have to let the 'yes' and the 'no' both speak in us so that we can come to know ever more deeply the enormous challenge of Jesus' question."
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Want to go?
'One Hundred Chalices' is a free exhibit and talk by local artist Peter Strafaci, followed by a question-and-answer period. It will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the education building of St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro, 2715 Horse Pen Creek Road.
For more information, contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 336-931-1239.
CHARLOTTE —With more than 10,000 families participating in a hundred-plus ministries at St. Matthew Church, it's challenging for parishioners to keep up with everything happening at one of the nation's largest Catholic churches.
Jim Alvarez, St. Matthew's audiovisual coordinator, is sharing his talents and the news about the south Charlotte parish through online broadcasts called "MATTtv."
"Honestly, the goal is to electronically evangelize," Alvarez said. "To show how much of God's work is here and what goes on around us. I think some people tend to feel like they get lost here in the community, but 'MATTtv' connects them a bit."
Alvarez, who spent three decades in television, writes, shoots and produces the bi-weekly internet news broadcast.
"It's something I've always wanted to do," he said. "It's been a personal journey, about how I can use my talents at the church to serve others.
"I came up with this crazy, wild thought of shooting some of the happenings here and sharing it with the community, our community."
Alvarez started working part-time at the parish about four years ago, and now he produces gospel reflections and video series for the parish, including the Puzzle of Life Lenten reflections.
He said he put together the first show "under the radar." He handed the pilot to Monsignor John McSweeney, pastor, and asked him to review it. Monsignor McSweeney gave Alvarez the green light and he's up to nine episodes now.
"Monsignor has been awesome, even participating in the broadcasts. Having his support has been helpful," Alvarez said.
Monsignor McSweeney said he is delighted with the success of the broadcasts.
"Following the leadership of Pope Francis, we are trying to utilize every means of social media to communicate the good news of Jesus Christ, and I am pleased that our teens and young adults are so involved in the production of our 'MATTtv' series," he said via email.
The idea of the brief news broadcasts is to share information about the ministries at the parish as well as personal stories of people's spiritual journeys, Alvarez said. "What I found were people were aware of what was going on, that there were these ministries, but not what they did or who they served."
Alvarez wanted to produce the show every week, but said he had to be realistic. A new show is posted online every two weeks and promoted through social media. Eventually, he said he hopes it can play on the electronic billboard televisions across the church campus.
"It boils down to reaching people where they are – on their tablets, on their phones," Alvarez said. "I feel like it's really where God wants me and needs me to be now. I'm happy and it's fun."
The broadcasts are hosted by parishioner Valerie Mazel and a small group of teens who contribute the youth angle.
Producing the broadcasts doesn't cost anything additional, as Alvarez is on staff and the equipment was purchased when the church started its Lenten reflection videos.
Each episode of "MATTtv" has garnered a couple hundred views on You Tube, with the most-viewed episode, an interview with Monsignor McSweeney at his 40th anniversary of the priesthood, reaching more than 500 views.
"The people who have seen it have been realty positive," Alvarez said. "Their response has been that they love it and they didn't know that the ministry we highlighted was all about.
"It's still a work in progress for us. It's still new enough that we can tweak it as we go."
At www.youtube.com/stmatthewcatholic: Tune into St. Matthew Church's biweekly broadcasts of 'MATTtv'