In a quiet niche behind the high altar of St. Peter the Apostle Church in Reading, a piece of Catholic history rests under glass: a handmade silver trowel once used by Pope Leo XIII to seal the Holy Door at the conclusion of the Jubilee Year of 1900.
The trowel bears an engraved papal seal featuring two keys, symbolizing the heavenly and earthly authority of the Church. It was presented to Pope Leo XIII by the French Republic for use in the ceremonial closing of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, a ritual marking the end of the Jubilee celebration.
The Holy Door had been opened on Dec. 24, 1899, inaugurating what Pope Leo XIII proclaimed a universal Holy Year. It was the first of four ordinary Jubilees of the 20th century and came at a time of profound social and industrial change.
That turn-of-the-century Jubilee was deeply influenced by Pope Leo XIII’s landmark 1891 encyclical, “Rerum Novarum,” which addressed “the new things” of the industrial age, including the rights and conditions of workers, the responsibilities of employers, and the role of government. The encyclical laid the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching.
From Rome to Reading
The silver trowel’s journey from Rome to Reading is owed to Father James Edward Cleary, who served as pastor of St. Peter from 1889 to 1904. A Philadelphia native ordained in 1879, he was known for his passion for beauty in worship and his vision for renovating the parish church.
In 1903, he traveled to Rome “with the purpose of connecting St. Peter’s (Basilica) in Rome with St. Peter’s here,” explained Monsignor Thomas Orsulak, current pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Church.
During that pilgrimage, Father Cleary acquired several treasures to decorate the renovated church, including a 16th-century Italian painting, an ivory and mosaic crucifix, and the silver trowel once held by Pope Leo XIII.
“I don’t know how he got it,” admitted Monsignor Orsulak, “but he came back with it.”
Upon his return, Father Cleary created a small niche behind the high altar, where the trowel has remained on display for more than a century.
Sadly, Father Cleary did not live to see the completion of his ambitious church renovations. He died in 1904 at age 50, and the renovations were completed the following year. He is buried beside the church, his grave marked by a Celtic cross.
Connecting Across Centuries
As the Catholic Church now celebrates the Jubilee Year of 2025, the Holy Year of Hope, Monsignor Orsulak felt inspired to reconnect the past and present.
The current Jubilee, themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” began on Dec. 24, 2024, and will conclude on Jan. 6, 2026, when Pope Leo XIV will ceremonially close the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica.
In anticipation of that historic moment, Monsignor Orsulak wrote to the Vatican, offering the use of St. Peter’s treasured silver trowel, the same one used by Pope Leo XIII more than 125 years ago, for the closing of the Holy Door in January 2026.
“I allowed myself to dream,” said Monsignor Orsulak wistfully. He imagined traveling to Rome with the trowel and seeing it used once again to seal the Holy Door, just as it was in 1900.
Though he did not expect a reply, Monsignor Orsulak received “a very polite” letter from the Vatican, written in Italian, kindly declining the offer. The response explained that the modern ritual “no longer requires a trowel to be used when the doors are sealed shut.”
Still, the pastor treasures the exchange, and the imagination it stirred to connect two popes named Leo and two Jubilee Years that span centuries.
The Vatican’s closing ceremony will take place on the Feast of the Epiphany, marking the end of the Jubilee year, which calls all Catholics to renew their faith, trust, and unity.
The silver trowel in Reading stands as a small but shining reminder of the Church’s enduring mission: to build bridges and spread the Gospel message of love and salvation to all people.
Diocese of Allentown Closing Ceremony Will Be Dec. 28
All are invited to attend the Diocese of Allentown closing celebration for the Jubilee Year of Hope on Sunday, Dec. 28, the Feast of the Holy Family, the same feast on which we began the Jubilee Year of Hope one year ago.
The celebration, at the Cathedral of St. Catharine of Siena, Allentown, will include:
2 p.m. – A choral presentation of Vivaldi’s “Gloria” by the Cathedral Choir, beautifully interspersed with a Narrative Tour of the Cathedral Church, offering insights into the sacred art and architecture of the Cathedral in light of our diocesan history and mission.
2-3 p.m. – The Sacrament of Penance, available in English and in Spanish.
3 p.m. – The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass closing the Jubilee Year celebrated by Bishop Alfred Schlert.
This celebration is an opportunity for us to come together as a diocesan family
of faith to give thanks to God for the many blessings of this Jubilee Year.
Click here for a flyer of the ceremony.
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