By David Karas | Correspondent

The community of St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Cinnaminson, has found a special way to help remind families to pray for vocations.

For upwards of five years, the parish has dedicated a vocations prayer chalice to be used for special Masses and to be borrowed by families in the parish to promote daily prayer for vocations.

In the half decade since Pamela and Donald Grimme introduced the idea at a Mass, close to 150 families have signed up – 20 of them multiple times – to take the special chalice home for a one-week period, and to pray for vocations with the chalice, using the Serra Prayer.

“It is used for people to take home as a reminder to pray every day for vocations,” said Deacon Bill Sepich, pastoral associate.

The chalice was given to the parish in memory of Mary A. Salerno many years ago by her relatives and friends. But the Grimmes said that the vessel – which has ornate designs and is thicker than a standard chalice – is rather heavy for daily Mass use, and so it was reserved for special occasions.

When the Serra Society began a vocations chalice program and asked the parish to participate, Father Peter James R. Alindogan, pastor, decided to select the special chalice for the cause.

Many members of the faith community have cherished the opportunity to participate, the Grimmes shared.

“Many families like to have it in their homes for special occasions,” they said, mentioning in particular, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and Holy Days of Obligation.

In September, families are invited to sign up for a preferred week between mid-September and mid-June, when the program is suspended for the summer months to account for vacations. At the end of each Mass, the presiding priest calls up the family receiving the chalice and shares a special blessing with them. The following Saturday, the family is asked to return the chalice to the parish so that it can be given to the next family.

The chalice was brought out for a special occasion Aug. 17, when Father Alindogan dedicated part of a Sunday morning Mass during which a special send-off was held for two young men entering a Jesuit seminary this month.

The occasion, Sepich and others reflected, was a perfect chance to share the vocations prayer chalice and engage the congregation in sharing prayers for faith vocations.