St. Peter's, Birmingham, the Mother Church of the city, has received a magnificent solid silver ciborium, the parting gift of the late Mgr. Canon C. A. Wheatley.
He was the oldest priest in the Archdiocese of Birmingham when he died recently at the age of 87. He
commenced his priestly life at St. Peter's, and sixty years later returned there, ostensibly to live among his books in a semi-retirement, but actually, for such was his unbounded energy, to assist the rector in his parochial duties.
LOOKS LIKE FACTORY He had a deep love for the old edifice, which was built to look externally Iike a factory in those days when the destruction of churches was not uncommon. Some time before his final illness he discussed with Dr. O'Reilly his wish to give to St. Peter's a ciborium in memory of his sister, who also shared his affection for the ancient edifice, and who died at the old age of 97.
The ciborium was received this week by the rector, and Dr. Thomas Bodkin, professor of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts at Birmingham University, has pronounced it to be an excellent example of the craftsman's work.