St Paul's Cathedral discovered on Friday its historic King Chalice has a different inscription to what had been believed for the past 30 years.
The chalice was an anonymous gift to St George-in-the-East parish priest the Rev Bryan King (1811-95), when ritualism riots broke out around the London church between May 1859, and July 1860.
''The chalice is very special. It's very unusual and has an extraordinary history attached to it,'' the Anglican Dean of Dunedin, the Rev Dr Trevor James, said.
''In the 1860s, there was a lot of feeling about anti-Catholicism and anti-ritualism. During the troubles, the Rev King was sent an anonymous gift of a silver-gilt chalice by his supporters.
''It was very plain and it disappeared soon afterwards, before re-appearing on Easter Day with all these jewels on it. It's very much over the top. We use it at Christmas and Easter. It was also used when I was made Dean. It's brought out at the discretion of the Dean,'' Dr James said.
However, Anglican Church records in England uncovered by the Otago Daily Times yesterday revealed it says: ''Pray for the offerer, a sinner''.
''I've just had a look at it and it can't be read with the naked eye,'' Dr James said, ''but that inscription certainly makes more sense.''
Mr King's chalice and vestments were presented to St Paul's on an Easter Day in the 1980s, by his great-grandson, Meyrick Vincent Bryan King, who served in the Diocese of Dunedin from 1948-81, before his death in 1989.
The King Chalice will be on display during free tours of the cathedral during the heritage festival. Director Chris Green said events would be held at historic locations around Dunedin, Port Chalmers and Mosgiel.
''It is very exciting to see the programme taking shape. We have exhibitions, tours, lectures, concerts, drama and heaps of family activities. The public are going to be in for a treat when the doors of many of Dunedin's iconic buildings are flung wide open.''
The fourth Dunedin Heritage Festival runs from April 25-29.
